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LIBRARY 


Theological   Seminary 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 

c«se, '^r  <S._ 

Shelf,  V^td 

Booh, 


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/A1 


THE 


HISTORY    OF    BAPTISM, 


BY    ROBERT    ROBINSON, 


EDITED  BY  DAVID  BENEDICT,  A.  Mi 


BOSTON  : 
FROM      THE      PRESS     OF      LINCOLN      &     £DMANDS, 

No.   53    CornhilL 

1817. 


Rhode  Island  District. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  Tliat  on  the  2ist  diiy  of  July,  in  the  year  of  our  Lcrd  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  seventeen,  DAVID  BENEDICT,  of  North  Providence,  in  the  County  nf  Prov. 
idence,  in  s«id  District  of  Rhode-Island,  deposited  in  this  Office,  the  title  of  a  Book,  the  right 
whereof  he  claims   as  Proprietor,  in   the  words   following,  viz. 

"THE  HISTORY  OF  BAPTISM.  By  Robert  Robinson.  Edited  by  David  Benedict,  A  M.'' 
In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled  "An  Act  for  the  encour- 
agement of  learning  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and 
Proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  time  therein  mentioned  :'  And  also  to  an  Act,  entitled 
''An  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books, 
to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  time  therein  mentioned,  and  extending 
the  benefits  thereof  to  the  Arts  of  Designing,  Engraving,  and  Etching  Historical  and  other 
Prints."  N.  R.  KNIGHT,  Clerk  R.  I.  District. 


ADVERTISEMENT, 


THIS  volume,  though  it  may  be  considered  as  a  com- 
plete and  distinct  work,  was  put  to  the  press  by  Mr.  Rob- 
inson with  the  view  only  of  exonerating  the  History  of 
the  Baptists,  which  he  was  writing,  of  the  subject  of  Bap- 
tism. Had  the  Author  lived,  he  would  have  published 
two,  three,  or  more  volumes  of  ecclesiastical  history  under 
the  title  of  the  History  of  the  Baptists.  From  the  re- 
searches which  he  had  made  into  the  authentic  records  of 
Christian  antiquity,  he  flattered  himself  that  he  should  be 
able  to  exhibit  the  history  of  a  class  of  men,  whose  tide 
to  be  denominated  the  disciples  of  Christ  was  infinitely 
better  founded,  than  that  of  those  who  have  hitherto  proud- 
ly and  exclusively  assumed  to  themselves  the  name  of  the 
church.  In  this  work ,  Mr.  Ro  b  i  n  s  o  n  took  great  pleas- 
ure, and  prosecuted  his  inquiries  with  such  intense  appli- 
cation, as  is  thought  to  have  impaired  his  health,  and  to 
have  brought  on  the  fatal  disorder  of  which  he  died. 


"*  ADVERTISEMENT. 

The  MSS.  Avhich  Mr.  Robinson  hath  left  on  this 
subject  are  voluminous ;  but  they  are  neither  arranged 
nor  finished.      The  following  is  a  sketch  of  them  : 

1.  A  general  view  of  the  Roman  Empire  at  Pages 

the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ, 7 

2.  A  general  view  of  Judea  at  the  time  of  Jesus,    13 

3.  Cautions  necessary  to  a  Reader  of  Ecclesi- 

astical History, jg 

4.  The  Greek  Church, 80 

5.  The  Church  of  Rome,    - 50 

6.  Afirica,    ---_ gQ 

7-  Italy, 100 

8.  Spain, 104 

9.  Navarre  and  Biscay,    --------   80 

10.  Vallies  of  Piedmont,      .    v 50 

11.  Poland, -----70 

12.  Transylvania, I7 

13.  Livonia,        -----„^-_„_      5 

14.  Moldavia  and  Wallachia, 4 

15.  Hungary,    -    . g 

16.  Bohemia,      -- 35 

17.  Moravia, 50 

18.  Austria,     ----.---__..     5 

19.  Germany,  Munster,      --.-_.,       15 

These  are  all  closely  written  large  quarto  pages.  It  is 
the  intention  of  Mr.  Robinson's  family  to  submit  them 
to  the  inspection  of  some  of  his  learned  friends,  on  whose 
approbation  the  publishing  of  them  will  depend.  Mr. 
Robinson  had  also  made  great  collections  for  the  Histo- 
ries of  the  German  and  English  Baptists,  which  he  pro- 
posed to  write  next  winter ;  and  he  had  prepared  some  ma- 


^ADVERTISEMENT.  5 

terials  for  the  History  of  the  Dutch,  American  and  other 
foreign  Baptists. 

Mr.  Robinson  wrote  very  Tittle  during  the  last  twelve 
months.  The  whole  of  the  present  volume,  except  the 
.preface  and  the  recapitulation  was  finished  before  tliat 
time.  Though  the  reader  may  wish  the  Author  had  re- 
touched some  parts,  he  will  still  find  in  it  an  ample  fund  of 
improvement  and  entertainment ;  and  the  noble  spirit  of 
liberty,  which  it  breathes,  cannot  fail  of  recommending  it 
to  the  liberal  men  of  every  sect. 

For  the  errors  of  the  press,  the  Author  hath  made  an 
apology  in  the  preface,  which  we  trust  will  be  accepted. 

Mr.  Robinson  had  engaged  himself  in  the  spring  to 
preach  the  annual  sermons  for  the  benefit  of  the  Dissenters' 
Charity- School  at  Birmingham,  and  he  promised  himself 
great  pleasure  from  an  interview  with  Dr.  Priestly, 
and  other  gentlemen  of  that  place.  The  physician  did  not 
disapprove  of  the  journey,  though  he  wished  it  could  have 
been  deferred  a  v/eek  or  two  longer,  and  his  family  flattered 
themselves  that  the  exercise  and  company  would  have  the 
most  beneficial  effects  on  his  health  and  spirits.  On 
Wednesday,  June  2,  he  set  off"  from  Chesterton  with  his 
son,  in  an  open  carriage,  and  travelling  by  easy  stages  ar- 
rived at  Birmingham  on  Saturday  evening,  apparently  not 
at  all  the  worse  for  his  journey.  On  Sunday  he  preached 
twice,  in  the  morning  at  the  new  meeting-house,  and  at  the 
old  meeting-house  in  the  afternoon.  On  Monday  evening 
his  friends  were  alarmed  for  him  from  an  excessive  difii- 
eulty  of  respiration,  under  which  he  laboured  for  some 
time,  but  on  Tuesday  he  revived,  and  entertained  the  com- 
pany the  greater  pait  of  the  day  and  the  whole  of  the  even- 
ing, with  all  that  ease  and  viAacitv  in  conversatiori.  fn*^ 


6  ADVERTISEMENT. 

which  he  had  ever  been  remarkable.  He  retired  to  rest 
about  twelve  o'clock,  and  probably  died  without  a  strug- 
gle soon  after  he  got  to  bed  ;  for  on  Wednesday  morning 
he  was  found  nearly  cold,  the  bed  clothes  were  not  dis- 
composed, nor  the  features  of  his  countenance  in  the  least 
distorted.  It  was  always  his  desire  to  die  suddenly 
and  al6ne. 

Mr.  Robinson  departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  fifty 
four  years  and  eight  months,  in  the  house  of  William 
Russell,  Esq.  at  Showel-Green,  near  Birmingham,  and 
was  interred  by  this  gentleman  with  every  possible  mark 
of  respect  in  the  Dissenters'  burying- ground.  Dr. 
Priestly  and  several  other  dissentmg  ministers  paid  the 
due  tribute  of  respect  to  the  remains  of  our  much  esteem- 
ed friend. 

We  intend  tg  publish  an  authentick  biographical  ac- 
count of  Mr .  Ro  B I N  s  0  N  in  a  short  time. 

Chesterton,  Cambridge, 
July  14, 1790. 


''tTGSTGH  ^\ 


*^  *  *  'ir  » 'vi  te'i.-  .J  k  J  fi'vl'«*^ 


Reader, 

BEFORE  you  peruse  the  following  History,  pardon  me  if  I 
detain  you  a  moment  to  inform  you  of  my  real  motive  for  com- 
piling it ;  for  I  am  well  aware,  that  Baptism,  one  of  the  chief  in- 
stitutes of  our  holy  religion,  hath  been  the  innocent  occasion  of 
so  many  mean  motives  and  violent  dispositions,  that  the  subject 
can  hardly  be  mentioned  without  exciting  suspicions  of  unfair 
treatment.  I  hope  you  will  not  find  any  thing  to  otfend  in  the 
following  sheets ;  at  least,  I  can  assure  you  that  I  have  not  allow- 
ed myself  to  deal  in  censoriousness,  or  knowingly  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  bitterness  and  wrath. 

When  the  subject  first  darted  into  my  mind,  I  own,  I  was  not 
thinking  of  Baptism,  but  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  I  was 
entering  on  that  argument,  which  is  taken  from  its  rapid  progress, 
and  the  multitude  of  its  professors  ;  and  I  was  the  more  struck 
with  it  by  observing  that  the  first  ecclesiastical  historian,  Luke, 
in  the  book  of  Acts,  makes  frequent  use  of  it ;  but  I  could  not 
help  at  the  same  time  observing,  that  the  same  argument  is  not 
valid  now,  because  a  profession  of  Christianity  doth  not  now  im- 
ply an  exercise  of  reason  and  assent,  but  is  put  upon  infants  by 
extrinsick  force.  The  conduct  of  a  multitude  of  wise,  free,  and 
virtuous  men,  forms  a  presumption  in  favour  of  the  reasonable- 
ness of  their  actions  ;  but  a  multitude  of  beings  of  no  character 
cannot  form  even  the  shadow  of  a  presumption.  The  first  are 
the  thousands  of  whom  Luke  wrote  ;  the  last  are  the  modern  pro- 
fessors of  the  Christian  religion. 

Some  writers  have  availed  themselves  of  the  modern  case  ;  and 
supposing,  as  they  have  been  told,  that  Jesus  instituted  the  pro- 
fessinsf  of  his  name  in  nonage,  they  have  ventured  to  represent 
Christianity  and  its  author  unworthy  of  such  respect  as  Christians 
pay  to  both.  Thus  the  objection  is  transferred  to  the  gospel,  and 
the  wisdom  and  equity  of  the  author  of  it  are  brought  into  ques- 
tion, unwarily  no  doubt  ;  but  the  fact  is  true,  and  the  reasoning, 
though  from  mistaken  data,  hath  consistency  and  weight. 

Nor  doth  infant  baptism  appear  less  incongruous  with  the  nat- 
ural rights  of  mankind,  than  it  is  with  the  Avisdom  and  equity  of 
Christianity.  Of  personal  liberty,  one  of  the  dearest  branches  is 
liberty  of  conscience,  the  liberty  of  choosing  a  religion  for  one's- 
self,  of  which  none  is  capable  during  infancy.     It  is  the  parent  or 


S  PREFACE. 

the  magistrate,  who  chooses  what  rehgion  the  infant  shall  profess, 
and  this  is  depriving  him  of  a  natural  birth-right. 

The  observation,  that  infants  are  disposed  of  in  baptism,  with- 
out their  knowledge  or  consent,  is  a  sort  of  finger  pointing  to  the 
age  and  the  kind  of  governments  where  it  was  first  practised. 
It  must  have  happened  where  the  choice  of  the  religion  of  one 
man  was  a  right  of  seigniory  exercised  by  another. . 

Full  of  these,  and  such  like  suspicions,  and  loth  to  think  Chris- 
tianity inimical  to  personal  freedom,  I  set  myself  to  examine  the 
History  of  Baptism,  and  the  following  sheets  contain  my  observa- 
tions. They  go  to  prove  that  the  Christianity,  which  Jesus  and 
his  primitive  disciples  taught  and  practised,  is  not  liable  to  any 
objections  on  this  head,  but  that  it  is  in  full  agreement  with  the 
perfections  of  God,  the  character  of  revelation,  the  principles 
of  good  governments,  and  the  freedom,  virtue,  and  felicity  of 
all  mankind. 

Lest  I  should  seem  to  arrogate  a  credit  not  due  to  my  bare  af- 
firmations, I  have  taken  the  pains  to  quote  my  authorities,  and  to 
mark  the  editions  ;  but  I  must  own  the  authorities  quoted  are  few 
in  comparison  with  what  I  had  collected,  and  which  I  have  since 
destroyed,  as  what  remain  appear  fully  sufficient  to  authenticate 
any  fact  affirmed. 

I  have  severely  felt  the  inconvenience  of  a  distance  of  fifty 
miles  from  the  press.  *****  If^  Reader,  you  do  me  justice, 
you  will  number  the  errors  of  the  press  among  my  misfortunes, 
in  common  Avith  those  of  all  Authors,  for  I  assure  you,  though  I 
fried  hard,  yet  I  could  not  prevent  them. 

I  feel  happy  on  reflection  that  I  did  not  set  about  this  work 
en  any  motives  below  the  dignity  of  a  Christian,  nor  am  I  aware 
that  I  have  prostituted  my  pen  to  serve  a  party,  or  once  dipped 
it  in  gall.  Escapes  undoubtedly  there  are  many ;  but  when 
did  any  individual  of  my  species  produce  a  work  of  absolute  per- 
fection ?  Such  as  it  is,  I  commit  it  to  the  candid  perusal  of  my 
brethren  ;    and  I  am,     Courteous  Reader, 

Your  humble  Servant, 

R.  ROBINSON. 

Chesterton,  Cambridge. 


editor's  preface. 


THIS  work  has  for  many  years  been  known,  and 
much  esteemed,  by  many  of  the  Baptist  denomination 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  ;  and  many  in  this  coun- 
try have  desired  that  it  might  have  a  more  general  cir- 
culation. Some  years  ago,  the  Philadelphia  Biptist 
Association  appointed  the  late  Dr.  Samuel  Jones,  of 
Lower  Dublin,  Pennsylvania,  to  abridge  and  prepare  it 
for  the  press,  on  a  plan  similar  to  that  M^hich  is  here 
pursued.  But  it  is  believed,  that  age  and  infirmities 
prevented  the  Doctor  from  fulfilling  that  appointment. 

The  Editor  has  been  in  the  habit  of  perusing  the 
work  with  considerable  attention,  and  much  interest 
for  a  number  of  years  :  but  the  labour  which  he  has 
now  performed,  was  first  suggested  to  his  mind  while 
studying  it  for  the  purpose  of  m.aking  out  the  article  on 
Baptism,  published  in  his  General  History  of  the  Bap- 
tists. His  intention  was  announced  in  that  work,  and 
soon  after,  he  began  to  be  solicited  to  undertake  the 
preparation  of  Robinson.  It  abounds  with  notes  and 
authorities  in  many  dead  and  foreign  languages,  which 
the  Editor  designed  at  first  to  have  generally  omitted  : 
but  by  the  advice  and  desire  of  a  number  of  learned 
friends,  he  resolved  to  retain  the  authorities  without 
much  abridgment,  and  also  to  insert  a  larger  portion  of 
the  notes  than  he  first  designed.  For  the  information 
of  those  readers  who  are  unacquainted  with  languages, 
it  may  be  proper  to  observe,  that  the  substance  of  most 
2 


10  editor's  preface. 

of  the  notes,  so  far  at  least,  as  they  relate  immediately  to 
baptism,  is  incorporated  with  the  English  reading  in  the 
text,  of  which  circumstance,  notice  is  generally  given  by 
inverted  commas.  Mr.  Robinson  saw  fit,  in  a  great 
many  instances,  to  insert  the  Latin,  Greek,  &c.  below, 
which  he  had  translated  in  his  narrations.  This  was 
probably  done  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  learned  an 
opportunity  to  judge  of  the  correctness  of  his  transla- 
tions. A  few  of  the  most  striking  notes  which  were 
not  thus  disposed  of,  have  been  translated  by  the  Edi- 
tor, for  the  benefit  of  the  common  reader,  and  the  trans- 
lations immediately  follow  the  notes. 

Although  some  portions  of  this  work  have  been 
omitted,  yet  the  reader  may  be  assured,  that  every  thing 
has  been  retained,  which  has  any  direct  or  important 
bearing  on  the  history  of  baptism. 

The  generous  subscription  which  has  been  received 
for  this  justly  celebrated  production,  is  a  proof  of  the 
high  expectations  which  are  entertained  of  its  excellence  ; 
and  it  is  confidently  believed,  that  it  will  be  perused 
with  uncommon  interest  and  satisfaction. 

DAVID  BENEDICT. 
Pawtucket,  R,  /»  April  4,  1817» 


«.'.--.!;t''^' 


HISTORY  OF  BAPTISM. 


CHAP.  I. 

THE  MISSION    AND   CHARACTER   OF   JOHN    THE    BAPTIST. 

LONG  before  the  appearance  of  John  the  B  iptist,  the 
Jews  had  been  taught  to  expect  that  t/ie  God  of  heaven 
M'ould,  at  a  certain  time,  without  hands^  set  up  a  king- 
dom^ ivhich  should  never  be  destroyed.  This  heavenly 
kingdom  was  the  economy  of  assortment  which  John 
introduced,  and  the  baptism  of  John  is  called  the  begin- 
ning of  the  gospel,  the  epoch  from  which  the  New  Tes- 
tament dispensation  is  to  be  computed.  The  taw  and 
the  prophets  were  until  John :  since  that  time  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  preached  (1).  This  came  to  pass  in  the 
fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Cesar,  when  Pon- 
tius Pilate  was  governor  of  Judea,  Herod  tetrarch  of 
Galilee,  and  Annas  and  Caiaphas  were  his^h  priests. 

It  seems  to  have  been  an  ancient  idea,  that  the  begin- 
ning mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  particularly  in  the 
1st  chapter  of  the  gospel  of  John,  and  in' the  Ist  chapter 
of  his  1st  epistle,  is  to  be  understood  not  of  the  beginning 
of  the  world,  but  of  the  beginning  of  tlie  evangelical  econ- 
omy.  This  idea  glimmers  in  the  writings  of  the  fathers, 
though  obscured  by  allegory.  This  is  what  Cyril 
seems  to  intend,  when  he  says,  "  water  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world,  and  Jordan  was  the  beginningofthe  gos- 
pel"(2).  This  is  a  sort  of  harmony,  ingenious  but  fan- 
ciful, between  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  and  the  first 
of  Mark  and  John.     In  the  former  it  is  said,  in  the  be- 

(1)  Mark  i.  1,  2.    Luke  iii.  1,  2.    Acts  io  21,  22. 

(2)  CyrilU  Kierosolymitad  Catecketo 


12  THE    MISSION    AND    CHARACTER 

ginning  the  spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
'ujaters :  and  in  the  latter,  in  the  beginning,  the  beginning 
of  the  gospel,  John  did  baptize. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  period  good 
men  had  been  in  a  condition  of  comparative  imperfec- 
tion. They  were  individuals  mixed  and  confounded 
with  numerous  persons  of  opposite  characters,  in  fam- 
ily, tribal  and  national  divisions.  They  had  never  been 
A  PEOPLE,  but  John  was  sent  to  associate  individuals, 
to  form  a  people,  or,  as  an  evangelist  expresses  it,  to 
make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord^  and  the  rev- 
olution effected  at  this  time  was  so  substantial,  that  it  is 
called  a  creation,  a  new  age,  a  new  world,  of  which 
Jesus,  whom  John  proclaimed  and  introduced  as  chief, 
was  declared  the  creator  and  lord,  for  John  professed 
himself  only  a  messenger  of  Jesus,  employed  indeed  in 
his  service,  but  not  worthy  to  unloose  the  latchet  of  his 
shoes. 

John,  it  is  supposed,  was  born  at  Hebron,  and,  if  a 
judgment  of  his  education  may  be  formed  by  the  char- 
acter of  his  parents,  he  was  trained  up  in  habits  of  piety 
and  virtue,  for  they  were  both  righteous  before  God, 
walking  in  all  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the 
Lord  blameless.  How  he  was  employed  in  his  youth  ; 
whether  his  parents  had  given  him  any  human  literature  ; 
whether  he  were  single  or  married  ;  a  man  of  property, 
or  poor  ;  with  many  other  such  questions,  must  ever 
remain  unanswered,  for  his  historians  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  mention  them. 

They  thought  it,  however,  of  consequence  to  affirm, 
that  his  conduct  originated  in  a  divine  call.  Neither  did 
he  come  of  himself,  nor  was  he  employed  by  any  governing 
power  of  his  country,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  nor  did  the 
populace  sec  him  up,  but  the  word  of  God  came  to  him 
in  the  wilderness,  as  to  the  ancient  prophets.  Three  of 
the  evangelists  observe,  that  the  coming  of  this  extraor- 
dinary man  had  been  foretold  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  and 
the  fourth  describes  him  as  a  man  sent  from  God,  which 
is  further  confirmed  by  Jesus,  who  declared,  that  the 
baptism  of  John  was  from  heaven,  and  not  of  men.  So 
exactly  was  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  fulfilled,  and  so  tru- 
ly did  the  God  of  heaven  without  hands  set  up  a  king- 
dom to  stand  forever  I 


OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST.  13 

When  John  was  about  thirty  years  of  age,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  heavenly  call,  he  entered  on  his  ministry,  by 
quitting  the  hill-country,  and  going  down  by  the  wilder- 
ness to'  the  plains  of  Jordan,  by  proclaiming  the  king- 
dom of  God,  the  near  advent  of  the  Messiah,  and  the 
necessity  of  preparing  to  receive  him  by  laying  aside  sin 
and  superstition,  and  by  an  exercise  of  universal  justice, 
and  lastly,  by  identifying  the  person  of  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah.  He  distributed  various  rules  of  righteousness 
among  the  different  classes  that  attended  his  ministry. 
He  said  to  soldiers.  Do  'oiolence  to  no  man  ;  he  exhorted 
publicans  to  avoid  exaction,  and  he  taught  the  people 
benevolence,  Let  him  that  hath  two  coats  impart  to  him 
that  hath  none ;  and  he  directed  all  to  Jesus  as  master 
and  Lord,  in  manifesting  whom  his  ministry  was  to 
cease.  His  dress  was  plain,  his  diet  abstemious, 
and  his  whole  deportment  grave,  serious,  and  severe. 
Muhitudes,  both  of  provincials  and  citizens,  flocked  to 
hear  him,  and  all  held  him  as  a  prophet,  and  such  as 
renounced  their  former  sinful  practices,  and  believed  his 
predictions  concerning  the  Christ,  were  baptized  by 
him  in  the  river  Jordan,  but  the  pharisees  and  laivyers 
are  to  be  excepted,  for  they  rejected  the  counsel  of  God 
against  themselves,  and  ivere  not  baptized  of  him. 

While  John  was  employed  in  preaching  and  baptiz- 
ing at  Bethabara  beyond  Jordan,  various  reports  were 
spread  abroad  of  him,  and  as  the  people  were  in  expecta- 
tion of  the  Christ,  all  men  mused  in  their  hearts  whether 
he  were  the  person  or  not,  and  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem 
sent  a  deputation  of  priests  and  Levites  to  him  to  inquire 
what  account  he  gave  of  himself.  He  fully  answered 
all  their  questions,  and  informed  them  that  he  was  not 
the  Christ,  but  the  person,  spoken  of  by  Isaiah,  sent 
before  to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord,  who  stood  then  a- 
mong  them,  but  who  was  not  then  known.  This  was  the 
day  of  the  manifestation  of  Jesus. 

It  is  uncertain  by  what  means  John  obtained  an  in- 
terview with  Herod ;  but,  certain  it  is,  he  reproved  him 
for  living  in  adultery  with  Herodias  his  brother  Philip's 
wife,  and  his  language  was  that  of  a  man  who  well  un- 
derstood civil  government,  for  he  considered  law  as 
supreme  ii>  a  state,  and  told  the  king,  It  is  not  lawful 


14  THE    MISSION    AND    CHARACTER 

for  thee  to  ha've  thy  brother^s  wife.  Hcrodias  was  ex- 
tremely displeased  with  John  for  his  honest  freedom, 
and  deterniined  to  destroy  him  ;  but  though  she  prevail- 
ed on  the  king  to  imprison  him,  yet  she  could  not  per- 
suade him  to  put  him  to  death.  Two  great  obstacles 
opposed  her  design.  Herod  himself  was  shcx^ked  at 
the  thought,  for  he  had  observed  J  jhn,  was  convinced  of 
his  piety  and  love  of  justice,  he  had  received  pleasure 
in  hearing  him,  and  had  done  many  things  which  John 
had  advised  him  to  do  ,  and,  as  there  is  a  dignity  in  in- 
nocence, the  qualiiies  of  the  man  had  struck  him  with 
an  awe  so  deep  and  solemn,  that,  tyrant  as  he  was,  he 
could  not  think  of  taking  away  the  life  of  John.  Herod 
also  dreaded  the  resentment  of  the  publick,  for  he  knew 
the  multitude  held  John  as  a  prophet.  Herodias  there- 
fore waited  for  a  favourable  opportunity  to  surprise  the 
king  into  the  perpetration  of  a  crime,  which  neither  jus- 
tice nor  policy  could  approve,  and  such  an  one  she 
found  on  the  king's  birth- day.  The  story  is  at  large  in 
the  gospel.  Dreadful  is  the  condition  of  a  country 
where  any  one  man  is  above  control,  and  can  do  what 
this  absolute  king  did  !  Whether  he  felt,  or  only  pre- 
tended to  feel  great  sorrow,  the  fact  was  the  same,  he 
sent  an  executioner^  and  commanded  the  head  of  the 
prophet  to  be  brought^  and  John  was  assassinated  in  the 
prison. 

The  murder  did  not  sit  easy  on  the  recollection  of 
Herod,  for,  soon  after,  when  he  heard  of  the  fame  of 
Jesus,  his  conscience  exclaimed,  It  is  John,  whom  I  be- 
headed, he  is  risen  from  the  dead  !  certainly,  John  the 
Baptist  will  rise  from  the  dead,  and  Herod  the  tetrarch 
must  meet  him  before  an  impartial  Judge,  who  will  re- 
ward or  punish  each  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body.  In  the  present  case  the  Judge  hath  declared  the 
character  of  John.  John  was  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light.  Among  them  that  are  born  of  women  there  hath 
not  risen  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist. 

Jesus,  speaking  of  the  ill  treatment  of  John,  implies 
that  posterity  would  do  his  character  justice,  and,  true 
it  is,  the  children  of  wisdom  have  justified  John  ;  but 
mankind  have  entertained,  according  to  their  various 
prejudices,  very  different  opinions  of  that  m  which  his 


OF    JOHN    THE    BAPTIST.  15 

worth  consisted  (3).  The  Jews  praise  his  rectitude, 
and  pity  his  fate,  for  John  was  their  countryman,  and 
they  hated  Herod  (4).  The  Arabians  celebrate  his  ab- 
stemiousness, and  say  providence  avenged  his  death  (5). 
The  Cathohcks  have  invented  a  thousand  fables,  and 
placed  to  his  account  the  origin  of  monachism,  and  the 
working  ot  miracles.  They  have  put  him  among  their 
gods,  consecrated  waters,  built  baptisteries  and  temples 
to  his  honour,  assigned  him  a  day  in  the  calendar,  called 
themselves  by  his  name,  collected  his  pretended  relicks, 
adorned  them  with  silver  and  gold  and  jewellery,  and 
wholly  overlooked  that  which  made  John  the  great- 
est that  had  been  born  of  women  (6).  How  deplorable 
is  it,  that  in  the  seventeenth  century,  in  the  enlightened 
kingdom  of  France,  such  a  man  as  Du  Fresne,  of  ex- 
tensive literature,  of  amiable  manners,  an  instructor  of 
ail  Europe  in  matters  of  antiquity,  should  disgrace  his 
pen  by  publishing  a  treatise,  to  prove  that  his  native  city 
of  Amiens  was  hi  possession  of  that  precious  relick 
the  head  of  St.  John  the  Baptist :  found  at  Jerusalem, 
carried  to  Constantinople,  discovered  again  in  the  city 
of  Emesa,  then  transported  to  Comana,  carried  again  to 
Constantinople,  where  the  French  found  it  when  they 
took  the  city,  and  whence  they  conveyed  it  to  Amiens, 
where  it  is  now  enshrined  in  all  the  odour  of  Saintship. 
(7).  This  example,  to  which  a  great  number  more 
might  be  added,  may  serve  to  shew  Protestants,  that 
whatever  honour  may  be  due  to  such  learned  Catho- 
licks,  and  much  unquestionably  is  their  due,  yet  very 
little  dependence  ought  to  be  placed  upon  their  critical 
discernment.  They  are  voluminous  collectors  of  all 
manner  of  materials,  genuine  and  forged,  and  so  they 
serve  society  :  but  it  is  the  province  of  Protestants  in 
free  countries,  where  there  are  no  licensers  of  the  press, 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  their  works,  and  by  selecting  the 

(3)  Matt,  xi  19. 

(4)  Joseph  Gorion.     Lib.  v.  cap.  45.    Ganz  Tzemach  David,    i.  xxv.  2, 

(5)  Sale's  Kormi,  chap.  iii.     The  family  of  Imr am  [the  father  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.]     Chap.  xvii.  the  Night  Journey.     Note  b. 

(6)  Baron.     Annal Acta  Sanct Paciaudi  Antiq.  Christ. 

(7)  Traite  H'storique  du  chef  de  S.  Jean  Baptists,  avec  des  preuves  et 
du  remarques  par  Charles  du  Fresne,  Sr.  du  Cange.  Pam,  Cram^isy.  1665. 


16  OF    THE    BAPTISM 

true  from  the  false,  wherever  they  are  blended  together, 
to  give  mankind  just  ideas  of  ecclesiastical  history. 

It  was  for  just  and  noble  reasons,  worthy  of  a  wise 
and  benevolent  mind,  that  Jesus  estimated  John  so  high- 
ly as  to  pronounce  him  as  great  a  man  as  had  been  born 
of  women  :  to  which  he  added,  the  least  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  was  greater  than  he.  It  was  a  compar- 
ison between  John  and  his  predecessors,  and  John  and 
his  successors,  in  framing  the  new  economy.  He 
was  greater  than  his  predecessors,  because  he  first  intro-. 
duced  a  moral  assortment  of  Jews,  a  kingdom  of  heaven 
upon  earth  :  he  was  less  than  the  apostles  his  succes- 
sors, because  under  the  direction  of  Jesus,  they  brought 
his  plan  to  perfection,  by  assorting  and  incorporating 
Jews  and  Gentiles  in  societies  expressly  united  for  the 
improvement  of  the  mind,  the  meliorating  of  the  heart, 
and  the  regulation  of  the  life,  a  compact  practice 
of  piety,  and  an  uniform  course  of  virtue,  and  so 
extending  and  establishing  personal  excellence,  tend- 
ing to  unite  all  mankind  in  one  family  of  universal  love  ; 
and  he  who  under  God  gave  a  sketch  of  a  design  so 
pure,  and  so  generous,  ought  to  be  reputed  one  of  the 
first  characters  among  mankind.  How  great  then  must 
he  be,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  this  great  man  was  not 
worthy  to  unloose  ? 


CHAP.  II. 

OF  THE    BAPTISM   WHICH   JOHN    ADMINISTERED. 

WHETHER  John  baptized  by  pouring  on  water,  or 
by  bathing  in  water,  is  to  be  determined  chiefly,  though 
not  wholly,  by  ascertaining  the  precise  meaning  of  the 
word  baptize.  A  linguist  determines  himself  by  his 
own  knowledge  of  the  Greek  language,  and  an  illiterate 
man  by  the  best  evidence  he  can  obtain  from  the  testi- 
mony of  others,  whom  by  his  condition  he  is  obliged  to 
trust.  To  the  latter  it  is  sufficient  to  observe,  that  the 
word  is  confessedly  Greek,  that  native  Greeks  must  un- 
derstand their  own  language  better  than  foreigners,  and 
that  they  have  always  understood  the  word  baptism  to 
signify  dipping;  and  therefore  from  their  first  embrac- 


WHICH    }OHN    ADMINISTERED.  17 

ing  of  Christianity  to  this  day  they  have  always  baptized, 
and  do  yet  baptize,  by  immersion.  This  is  an  authority 
for  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptize  infinitely  preferable 
to  that  of  European  lexicographers  ;  so  that  a  man,  who 
is  obliged  to  trust  human  testimony,  and  who  baptizes 
by  immersion,  because  the  Greeks  do,  understands  a 
Greek  word  exactly  as  the  Greeks  themselves  under- 
stand it  ;  and  in  this  case  the  Greeks  are  unexceptiona- 
ble guides,  and  their  practice  is,  in  this  instance,  safe 
ground  of  action. 

The  English  translators  did  not  translate  the  word 
baptize,  and  they  acted  wisely,  for  there  is  no  one  word 
in  the  English  language,  wliich  is  an  exact  counterpart 
of  the  Greek  word,  as  the  New  Testament  uses  it,  con- 
taining the  precise  ideas  of  the  evangelists,  neither  less 
nor  more.  The  difficulty,  or  rather  the  excellence  of 
the  word  is,  that  it  contains  two  ideas  inclusive  of  the 
whole  doctrine  of  baptism.  Baptize  is  a  dyer's  word, 
and  signifies  to  dip,  so  as  to  colour.  Such  as  render 
the  word  dip,  give  one  true  idea,  but  the  word  stood  for 
two,  and  one  is  wanting  in  this  rendering.  This  defect 
is  in  the  German  Testament,  Matt.  iii.  1.  In  those  days 
came  John  der  tauffer,  John  the  dipper  ;  and  the  Dutch, 
in  those  days  came  John  een  dooper,  John  the  Dipper. 

This  is  the  truth,  but  it  is  not  the  whole  truth.  The 
Saxon  Testament  adds  another  idea,  by  naming  the  ad- 
ministrator John  Se  Fidbihtere,  John  the  fuller.  The 
Islandick  language  translates  baptism  skim  (1),  scour- 
ing. These  convey  two  ideas,  cleansing  by  washing  ; 
but  neither  do  these  accurately  express  the  two  ideas  of 
the  Greek  baptize  ;  for  though  repentance  in  'some  cases 
accompanies  baptism,  as  it  does  prayer,  yet  not  in  every 
case.  Jesus  was  baptized  in  Jordan,  but  he  was  not 
cleansed  from  any  moral  or  ceremonial  turpitude  by  it, 
nor  was  any  repentance  mixed  with  his  baptism.  Puri- 
fication by  baptism  is  an  accident ;  it  may  be,  it  may  not 
be,  it  is  not  essential  to  baptism.  The  word  then  conveys 
two  ideas,  the  one  literal,  dipping,  the  other  figurative, 
colourings  a  figure  however  expressive  of  a  real  fact ; 
meaning  that  John  by  bathing  persons  in  the  river 
Jordan  conferred  a  character,  a  moral  hue,  as  dyers  by 
3 

(1)  Kristni  Saga,  HafnU  1773.  Skirn,  baptism,  ffona  skir,  ektm,  skir«; 
to  deame. 


18  OF    THE    BAPTISM 

dipping  in  a  dying  vat  set  a  tinct  or  colour  ;  John  by 
baptism  discriminating  the  disciples  of  Christ  horn  other 
men,  as  dyers  by  colouring  distinguish  stuffs.  Hence 
John  is  called,  by  early  Latins,  John  tinctor^  the  exact 
Latin  of  Joannes  baptistes,  John  the  Baptist. 

Tertullian,  the  first  Latin  father,  observes,  that  baptism 
was  administered  with  great  simplicity  (2),  homo  in  aqua 
demissiis^  et  inter  paiica  Derba  tinctus.  The  mode  seems 
to  have  been  this.  The  administrator  standing  in  the 
water,  and  putting  his  hand  on  the  back  part  of  the  head 
of  the  candidate,  standing  also  in  the  water,  bowed  him 
forward  till  he  was  immersed  in  the  water,  pronouncing 
in  the  mean  time  the  baptismal  words,  by  which  he 
characterized  him  a  Christian.  Everybody  knows  how 
the  Romans  understood  demisso  capite,  demisso  vultu, 
demissis  oculis,  and  the  like. 

The  Syrians,  the  Armenians,  the  Persians,  and  all 
Eastern  Christians  have  understood  the  Greek  word 
baptism,  to  signify  dipping,  and  agreeably  to  their  own 
versions,  they  all,  and  always  administer  baptism  by 
immersion,  but  Mohammed  in  the  Alcoran  has 
most  fully  translated  the  original  word.  He  calls 
baptism  sehgatallah,  that  is  dhlne  dying,  or  the  tinging 
of  God,  from  sehgah  d}ing,  and  Allah  God.  A  cel- 
ebrated orientalist  says,  Mohammed  made  use  of  this 
compound  term  for  baptism,  because  in  his  time  Chris- 
tians administered  baptism  as  dyers  tinge,  by  immer- 
sion, and  not  as  now  [in  the  West]  by  aspersion  (3). 
Mohammed  every  where  expresses  great  respect  ibr 
the  rites  of  Christians,  and  being  asked  why  he  set  aside 
baptism,  heanswered,  because  the  true  divivie  tinct,  which 
is  true  baptism,  is  faith  and  grace,  which  God  bestows 
on  true  believers.  This  inward  tinct  is  half  the  mean- 
ing of  baptism,  the  other  half  is  immersion  in  water. 

The  very  learned  Dr.  John  Gale  (4),  whose  accurate 
knowledge  of  Greek  was  never  doubted,  hath  traced  the 
original  word  in  profane  writers,  and  hath  proved  that 
with  the  Greeks  bapto  signified  I  dip,  baptai  dyers, 
baphia  a  dye  house,  bapsis  dying  by  dipping.  Bamma- 
ta  dying  drugs,  baphikee  the  art  of  dying,  dibaphos 
double  dyed,  baptisterion  a  dying  vat,  &c.     Tertullian 

(2)  De  Baptismo,  cap.  ii.  (3)  Herbelot.  Bibllot.  Orient. 

(4)  Jieflcctions  upon  Wall's   History  of  Infant  Baptism.    Let.  iii. 


WHICH    JOHN    ADMINISTERED.  19 

preserves  both  the  ideas  in  the  few  words  quoted  above, 
demissus  in  aqua  is  the  first,  dipped,  and  tinctus  the  other, 
coloured,  or  characterized,  so  that  the  single  word  bap- 
tism stands  for  both  dipping,  the  mode,  and  a  person  of 
real  character,  the  only  subject  of  baptism.  There  is  a 
propriety  in  acknowledging  a  believer  in  Christ  a  real 
character  by  baptism.  It  is  giving  him  the  name  who 
hath  the  thing.  To  this  sense  of  the  word  all  circum- 
stances and  descriptions  agree,  as  baptizing  in  the  river 
Jordan — going  down  into  the  water — coming  up  out 
o/'the  water,  buried  in  baptism,  and  the  rest,  so  that  the 
proper  answer  to  the  question,  how  did  John  administer 
baptism,  is,  By  immersion. 

Learned  men  have  inquired  whether  John  used  any 
set  form  of  words  in  baptizing,  and,  if  he  did,  what 
words  ?  Some  think  he  used  no  form  (5).  Others 
think  he  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity  (6) ;  but  a 
passage  in  the  book  of  Acts  seems  to  say,  that  he  bap- 
tized in  one  of  the  names  of  Jesus  (7).'  When  Paul 
went  first  to  Ephesus  (8),  he  found  some  disciples,  who 
had  not  received,  or  even  heard  of  the  extraordinary 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  aposde  inquired,  into  what 
then  were  ye  baptized  ?  They  said  into  John's  baptism. 
Paul  described  John's  baptism,  and  said,  John  verily 
baptized  with  the  baptism  of  rei>entance,  saying  unto 
the  people,  that  they  should  believe  on  him  which 
should  come  after  him,  that  is,  added  Paul,  on  Christ 
Jesus.  And  when  they,  the  disciples  of  John,  heard 
John  say  this,  they  were  baptized  by  John  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus.  This  paraphrastical  reading  is 
given  in  a  few  words  to  express  the  supposed  true  sense 
of  the  passage,  and  it  seems  to  convey  the  opinions  of 
those  divines,  who  affirm,  that  there  was  but  one  bap- 
tism— that  the  Ephesians  were  not  rebaptized — that 
the  baptism  of  John  was  true  christian  baptism — and 
that  he  baptized  In  some  one  of  the  names  of  Jesus,  and 
most  likely  in  that  of  Messiah,  or  Christ,  or  him  that  was 
to  come. 

(5)  Bellarmln.  Probabile  est,  Joannem  nulla  verborura  formula  usum 
fuisse. 

(6)  Daniel  Chamieri  PanstratU,  torn.  iv.  lib.  5.  cap.  IS. 

(7)  Joan.  Eccii  Momii.  7.        (8)  Acts  xix.  i,  &c.    Beza  . .  .Gill,  &c, 


% 


OF    THE     PLACES 


CHAP.  Ill, 

OF    THE   PLACES   WHERE   JOHN    BAPTIZED. 

DIFFERENT  writers  for  different  purposes  have 
'represented  Palestine  as  a  track  of  bleak  and  blasted 
mountains,  always  burnt  up  with  excessive  droughts, 
and  from  age  to  age  a  land  of  perpetual  barrenness. 
Some  have  done  this  in  order  to  discredit  the  writings 
of  Moses,  and  others,  with  a  design  to  disprove  the  bap- 
tism of  immersion,  as  if  the  country  could  afford  no 
more  water  than  would  suffice  by  pouring  or  sprinkling. 
This  makes  it  proper  to  examine  the  places  where  John 
administered  baptism. 

That  Palestine  hath  been  declining  in  fertility  ever 
since  the  Babylonish  captivity  is  true  ;  that  in  the 
time  of  Jerom,  who  lived  there,  it  was  ill  supplied  with 
water,  and  subject  to  great  droughts,  (1)  and  that  it  is 
now  desolate,  must  be  allowed ;  but  that  it  formerly 
answered  the  description  of  Moses,  and  deserved  all  the 
commendations  he  gave  it,  must  also  be  granted,  if  any 
credit  is  to  be  given  to  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  it,  to 
good  historians  of  adjacent  countries,  or  to  modern  cred- 
ible travellers  (2).  It  was  a  ^^ood  land,  a  land  for  cattle, 
a  land  of  wheat,  and  barley,  and  vines,  and  Jig-trees,  and 
pomegranates  ;  a  land  of  brooks  of  water,  of  fountains 
and  depths  that  sprang  out  of  rallies  and  hills ;  a 
landfio-mng  with  milk  and  honey  (3).  Its  present  condi- 
tion may  easily  be  accounted  for.  It  is  not  now  the 
home  of  industrious  owners,  who  divided  it  into  manage- 
able family  estates,  where  every  exertion  was  employed 
to  make  it  productive  ;  but  it  is  a  small  inconsiderable 
part  of  a  vast  despotical  empire,  where  the  state  of  prop- 
erty, and  the  spirit  of  government,  serve  rather  to  depop. 
iilate  than  to  improve  a  country.  For  ages,  the  land 
hath  been  a  prey  to  successive  plunderers,  and  the  own- 
ers themselves  defaced  it  to  abate  the  rage  of  crusaders 
for  invading  it.  It  hath  been  damaged  too  by  droughts 
and  earthquakes.     The  opulent  and  fruitful   island  of 

(1)  Com-  kn  Amos,  cap .  iv. 

(2)  Joseph,  de  bel.  Jud.  lib.  iii.  cap  3.     Aristeas.     ^trabo.  Lib.  xvi- 
Taciti  Hist.  lib.  v  Shaw.  Maundrell,  &c. 

(3)  Deut.  viii.  7,  8.  &c.    Num.  xiii.  17,  &c.  xxxii.  4,  &c. 


WHERE    JOHN    BAPTIZED.  21 

Cyprus  was  burnt  up  and  nearly  depopulated  for  want  of 
rain  ;  for,  about  the  time  of  Constantine,  there  was  none 
for  six  and  thirty  years  ;  but  this  did  not  make  histories 
of  its  ancient  fertility  incredible  ;  and  the  present  condi- 
tion of  Palestine  serves  to  render  respectable  the  ancient 
Jewish  prophets  who  foresaw,  and  foretold  it. 

John,  setting  out  from  the  place  of  his  birth,  Hebron, 
a  city  in  the  hilly  part  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  two  and 
twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem,  travelling  northward,  and 
leaving  Tekoa,  Bethlehem,  and  Jerusalem,  on  the  left, 
went  towards  Bethhoglah,  Engedi,  Giigal,  and  Jericho, 
taking  his  road  through  the  wilderness  of  Judah,  near 
the  banks  of  the  lake  Asphaltites,  and  crying,  or 
preaching  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns,  arrived  at  that 
part  of  the  wilderness  which  is  bounded  on  the  East  by 
the  river  Jordan,  which  met  him,  as  it  were,  running 
a-long-side  full  south,  and  hereabouts  fixed  his  first 
baptismal  station.  The  word  wilderness  did  not  signi- 
fy in  Judea  an  uninhabited  country,  but  woody,  grazing 
lands,  in  distinction  from  arable  fields,  which  were 
champaign  or  open,  and  vineyards,  olive-yards,  or- 
chards, and  gardens  which  vvere  enclosed.  There  were, 
in  the  time  of  Joshua,  six  cities  with  their  villages  in  this 
wilderness,  and  the  inhabitants  of  those  parts  were  gra- 
ziers and  sheep-masters  (4.) 

When  Balaam,  from  the  top  of  an  adjacent  hill,  sur- 
veyed that  part  of  the  country  toward  which  John  trav- 
elled, he  was  charmed  with  the  beauty  and  fertility  of 
the  scene,  and  he  observed  that  the  spot  was  adorned 
and  perfumed  like  Paradise  :  the  vallies  we:re  like  gar- 
dens spread  forth  by  the  river's  side  :  and  the  banks 
rising  from  the  waters  were  ornamented  with  aromatick 
timbers  and  fruit  trees  (5).  The  description  was 
exact,  for  that  end  of  the  wilderness  toward  Jericho 
hung  sloping  down  a  valley  fifteen  miles  in  width,  all 
along  which  the  Jordan,  from  north  to  south,  rolled  its 
waves  ;  in  some  places  deep  and  rapid,  overhung  with 
wood  growing  on  banks  four  or  five  feet  above  the 
water,  formerly  thickets  and  lodgments  of  lions  ;  behind 
these  other  banks  rising  to  the  height  of  fifteen  feet  ; 

(4)  Bias.  Ugolini  Thesaur.  Antlqxdtat.  Sacrarum.  Vol.  vi.  Venetils,  1746, 
Reland.  lib.  i.  cap.  Ivi.  De  locis  incultis  et  sylvis  Fakstinx.    Solitudo  yudx. 

(5)  Num.  xxiv,  6.      Poll  Synops.  in  loc. 


22  OP     THE    PLACES 

in  other  places  broad  and  shallow,  and  in  general  wider 
than  the  Tiber  at  Rome,  and  about  as  wide  as  the 
Thames  at  Windsor  (6).  Jo- dan  did  not  receive  its 
name,  as  many  suppose,  from  I'or,  the  spriufj,  and  Dariy 
the  tribe  where  it  rose,  for  it  was  called  Jarden,  or 
Tarden^  before  the  tribes  inhabited  the  land  (7).  in- 
deed it  was  supposed  to  rise  at  Yor,  in  Dan,  uli  Philip 
the  tetrarch  corrected  the  error  by  casting  straw  or 
chaff  into  the  lake  Phiala,  fifteen  miles  highe"  up  the 
country  eastward,  which,  coming  up  again  to  view  at 
the  old  suj)posed  source,  proved  a  subterranean  passage 
from  the  Phiala.  A  little  below  Dan,  the  stream  formed 
the  lake  Samachonites,  which  was  about  four  miles  over 
and  seven  miles  long  ;  thence  issuing  out  again  at  tlie 
opposite  end  it  ran  fifteen  miles  further,  and  formed  the 
lake,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  sea  of  Tiberias, 
which  was  in  the  broadest  part  five  miles  in  width,  and 
in  length  eighteen ;  thence  at  the  opposite  end  it  pro- 
ceeded forward  again,  crossed  the  whole  country 
through  the  wide  valley  just  now  mentioned,  and  fell 
into  the  lake  Asphaltites,  where  it  was  lost.  Reland 
derives  its  name  from  Tard,  which  answers,  says  he,  to 
the  low  Dutch,  Filet,  or  Floet,  a  river  ;  and  it  was  called 
the  Rher,  by  excellence,  as  the  Nile  and  the  Euphrates 
were,  because  each  was  the  great  and  principal  river 
of  the  country.  He  quotes  authorities,  Arabick  and 
Persick,  to  prove  that  Jordan  was  called  Arden,  and  the 
country  the  land  of  Arden.  Father  D'Herbelot  (8)  does 
the  same,  and  quotes  in  proof  a  Persian  life  of  the  Khalif 
Jezid  Ben  Abdalmalek,  who  innocently  caused  the 
death  of  Hababah  his  favourite  concubine,  by  giving  her 
a  grape  in  a  garden  in  Beled  Arden,  or  the  country  of 
Jordan.  The  grape  was  large,  such  as  that  country 
produced.  The  lady  put  it  hastily  into  her  mouth,  it 
lodged  in  her  throat,  stopped  her  breath,  and  she  died 
on  the  spot.  The  event  so  affected  the  Khalif,  that  he 
died  with  grief  soon  after.     The  pomegranates,  and  figs, 

(6)  Dr.  Richard  Pococke's  Description  of  the  East.  Vol.  ii.  part  i.  Lon- 
don, 1745.  Cha.p.  vVn.  Of  the  wiiderness,  the  Jbuntain  of  EUsha,  ycricho  and 
Jordan. 

(7)  Johan.  Qjiistorpii  Nebo.  De  aquis  terrx  sanctce.  Relandi  PaUst. 
Lib.  i.  cap.  sliii.  Jie  jordano. 

(8)  D'Herbelot  Bibliot.  Orient.    A  Paris,  1697.  Arden. 


WHERE    JOHN     BAPTIZED.  23 

and  grapes  of  Eshcol,  had  been  famous  from  the  time  of 
Moses,  and  his  spies  seem  to  have  taken  the  rout  that 
John  the  Baptist  did,  for  they  went  by  the  same  wilder- 
ness, tiirough  Hebron,  and  came  down  to  the  brook 
EshcoI(9);  from  all  which  it  appears,  that  both  in  the 
time  of  Moses  and  in  that  of  Abdahiialek,  the  Jordan  ivas 
a  considerable  river,  and  the  adjacent  country  abounded 
in  fertility.  The  patriarch  Jacob,  who  knew  the  coun- 
try, described,  perhaps  from  views  which  he  had  taken, 
the  aspect  or  face  of  it,  in  a  manner  very  picturesque 
and  beautiful.  Upward  on  the  hills  glistened  the  rich 
ripe  grapes,  projecting  through  the  leaves  ;  on  the  sur- 
liice  ran  live  mineral  waters,  twinkling  and  sparkling, 
like  eyes  red  with  wine  ;  below,  the  white  rocky  vallies, 
covered  with  flocks,  appeared  as  teet/i  white  as  milk;  the 
shaggy  herbage,  tinged  with  mineral  moisture  oozing 
through  the  soil  and  hanging  down  the  slopes,  resem- 
bled ^Yzr/Tzc/?/^  washed  in  the  blood  of  grapes  (1). 

All  the  Evangelists  aflirm,  John  baptized  in  Jordan. 
Mark,  who  says  he  baptized  in  Jordan,  says  also,  he 
baptized  in  the  wilderness  (2).  Of  course  he  baptized 
in  that  part  of  the  river,  which  bounded  the  lands  of 
Benjamin  and  Judah  on  the  east,  about  four  or  five 
miles  above  the  mouth  where  it  discharged  itself  into 
the  lake  Asphallites,  and  where  the  woodlands  of 
Judah  abutted  on  those  of  Benjamin.  The  river  here 
was  about  seven  miles  east  of  Jericho,  and  about 
twenty-five  or  six  east  of  Jerusalem.  Hereabouts  the 
Israelites  passed  over  Jordan  ;  and  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  river,  the  remains  of  a  convent,  dedicated  to 
John  the  Baptist,  are  yet  to  be  seen  ;  for  the  S)'rian 
monks  availed  themselves  of  the  zeal  of  early  pilgrims 
who  aspired  at  the  honour  of  being  baptized  where  they 
supposed  John  had  baptized  Jesus  (3).  The  Greeks 
have  imagined  a  place  three  or  four  miles  distant;  others 
have  supposed  it  higher  up  the  stream  northward  toward 
Galilee  ;  and  others,  again,  the  passage  right  over  against 
Jericho  ;  but  some  ford  a  little  nearer  the  mouth,  some- 
where about  the  line  that  parted  the  lands  of  Benjamin 

f9)  Numbers  xiu.  17—25. 

(1;    Gen.  xlix  11,  12.     VoXi  Synobs.     Tun.  at.  Tremel.  rn /oc. 

(2)  Chap.  i.  4.  /    /-       J 

(3)  Pocorke,  vol.  ii.  Beok  i.  chap.  vi».    Oric.  Qom,  in  ^ohan.     Hie. 
ron.  de  ioc,  Hebr. 


24  OF    TRE    PLACES 

and  Judah,  seems  best  to  agree  with  the  account  given 
by  the  Evangelists,  and  it  exactly  agrees  with  the  an= 
cient  geography  ;  for  the  line  that  parted  the  two  tribes 
ran  through  a  place  called  Bethbarah,  in  the  wilderness 
of  Judah,  or  the  house  at  the  ford  next  the  woodlands. 

The  river  Jordan,  far  from  wanting  water,  was  sub- 
ject to  two  sorts  of  floods,  one  periodical  at  harvest 
time,  in  which  it  resembled  the  Nile  in  Egypt,  with 
which  some  suppose  it  had  a  subterranean  communica- 
tion (4).  When  this  flood  came  down,  the  river  rose 
many  feet,  and  overflowed  the  lower  banks,  so  that  the 
lions  that  lay  in  the  thickets  there  were  roused  and  fled. 
To  this  Jeremiah  alludes,  Behold  the  king  of  Babylon 
shall  come  up  like  a  lion  from  the  swelling  of  Jordan  (5). 
The  other  swellings  of  Jordan  were  casual,  and  resem- 
bled those  of  all  other  rivers  in  uneven  countries.  In 
flat  countries  idle  rivers  move  lazily  along,  and  the 
waters  preserve  a  general  sameness  of  depth,  from  their 
surface  to  their  mud  ;  but  in  hilly  countries  it  is  far  oth- 
erwise, for  here,  after  heavy  rains  or  sudden  thaws, 
waters  come  roaring  down  the  mountains,  sweeping 
through  vallies  in  a  wide  bed,  cleansing  away  the  soil  as 
they  go,  and,  when  they  fall  into  chasms  of  narrow  com- 
pass, weigh  down  every  thing  that  obstructs  their 
passage,  cleaving  rocks,  and  rending  and  rolling  huge 
masses  along  to  make  themselves  a  way.  There  are 
several  such  rivers  in  the  mountainous  and  northern  parts 
of  this  island.  In  such  rivers  there  are  shallows  in  the 
greatest  floods ;  and  in  the  greatest  droughts  there  are, 
in  various  parts  of  their  beds,  a  kind  of  natural  cisterns, 
perfectly  clean,  and  every  way  convenient  for  the  bap- 
tism of  immersion.  The  romantic  glen,  called  Dove- 
dale,  in  Staffordshire,  not  far  from  Ashbourne,  in  Der- 
byshire, is  a  miniature  picture  of  the  channels  of  such  riv- 
ers. It  should  seem,  the  bed  of  the  Derwent  about  Mat- 
lock in  the  same  county ;  the  rough  and  craggy  channel 
of  the  fretting  waters  in  the  deep  woody  vale  at  Amble- 
side, in  Westmoreland,  above  the  town  and  a  little 
below  the  fall  ;  the  bed  of  the  river  Nith,  in  Scotland, 
between  Sanquhar  and  Drumlanrig  ;  and  a  great  many 
more,  fordable  one  day  and  impassable  the  next,  resem- 
ble, in  this  respect,  the  river  Jordan  at  certain  times. 

(4)  Reland.  cap,  xliii.  Dt  Jordane,  (JS)  Chap.  1. 44r. 


WHERE    JOHN    BAPTIZED.  25 

It  is  not  easy  to  reconcile  what  is  affirmed  of  Jordan 
without  supposing  it  of  this  kind.  There  were  fords, 
which  vA^ere  obHged  to  be  guarded  against  invaders,  and 
yet  at  one  of  them  the  water  was  so  deep  that  a  miracle 
was  necessary  to  open  a  passage  for  the  Israelites,  when, 
under  Joshua,  they  first  entered  the  land.  The  waters 
were  low  in  a  drought,  but  Joshua  passed  the  river 
at  the  time  of  the  annual  flood  (6).  Over  the  river 
were  bridges,  and  yet  on  the  river  were  boats  and  ships  ; 
in  it  many  delighted  to  swim,  and  yet  swimming  in  it 
was  so  dangerous,  from  the  steepness  of  the  banks,  and 
the  rapidity  of  the  water,  that  many  lost  their  lives. 
All  these  accounts  are  true  of  different  seasons  and 
different  parts  (7).  On  the  whole,  Jordan  was  a  con- 
siderable river,  but  at  different  seasons,  and  in  different 
parts,  subject  to  great  variations,  as  all  rivers  in  hilly 
countries  are. 

John  baptized  first  at  Bethabara  beyond  Jordan.  Here 
he  received  the  messengers  from  Jerusalem,  and  bore  that 
testimony  of  Jesus  which  is  recorded  in  the  first  of  John, 
then  he  crossed  the  river,  and  baptized  on  the  opposite 
side,  which  belonged  to  Reuben  or  Manasseh  ;  and  thus 
his  ministry  was  extended  through  the  region  roundabout 
Jordan  ;  and  here  he  delivered  that  testimony  concerning 
Christ,  which  is  recorded  in  the  third  chapter  of  John, 
and  this  is  what  some  call  his  second  baptismal  station. 
The  word  Bethabara  signifies  a  passage-house,  and  such 
•there  were  on  both  sides  the  river  near  the  fords,  and  most 
likely  they  were  houses  to  accommodate  and  direct  trav- 
ellers in  times  of  low  water,  and  ferry-houses  for  the  con- 
venience of  passage,  when  floods  and  high  waters  ren- 
dered boats  necessar}^  In  the  arabah  or  plain  sloping 
towards  the  ford,  where  the  abutments  of  Judah,  Benja- 
min, and  Reuben  met,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  a  lit- 
tle above  the  north-bay  of  the  lake  Asphaltites,  stood  the 
town  called  Bethabara,  sometimes  named  Betharabah, 
in  the  wilderness,  and  said  to  belong  to  Judah  ;  and  at 
other  times  simply  called  Betharabah,  and  said  to  belong 
to  Benjamin.  Probably,  like  Jerusalem,  it  belonged  to 
both,  just  as  some  towns  in  England  stand  in  two  coun- 
4 

(6)  Judges  iii  28.   vii.  24.    Josh.  lii. 

(7)  Dr.  Gill's  Expos.  John  i.  28.     Matt.  iii.  6     Pococke  as  above.     Chap, 
*Hiz.  xvii.    Sea  of  Tiberias,    xviii.     Waterx  ofMefom,,    Rioe  qf  Jordan,  ^c. 


26  OF    THE    PLACES 

ties,  the  partition  line  running  through  the  towns.  No 
places  could  be  chosen  more  convenient  for  the  baptism 
of  immersion  than  these.  Here  was  a  gentle  descent  into 
water  of  sufficient  depth  ;  here  were  houses  of  accommo- 
dation ;  and  fords  were  publick  roads.  It  did  not  be- 
come the  majesty  of  a  divine  institute  to  shun  the  pub- 
lick  eye  when  it  first  appeared  in  the  world.  I  hanje  not 
spoke?!  in  secret  in  a  dark  place  of  the  earthy  I  Jehovah 
declare  things  that  are  right. 

The  third  station  of  John  was  at  /Enon,  near  Salira. 
Salim  is  differently  written,  as  Saleim,  Salem,  Salom, 
Schiloh,  Zaleim,  and  so  on  ;  and  several  places  were  so 
called  either  simply  or  in  compound.  This  was  about 
eight  miles  south  from  Scythopolis,  the  ancient  Beth- 
shean,  a  city  in  Issachar,  but  belonging  to  Manasseh. 
One  of  the  Apostles  was  said  to  be  a  native  of  Salim, 
and  called  Zelotes,  from  this  place  of  his  nativity.  Some 
think  this  was  the  city  of  which  Melchizedek  was  king. 
(8).  iEnon,  near  it,  was  chosen  for  a  place  of  baptism 
by  John,  because  there  was  much  water.  Since  sprink- 
ling came  into  fashion,  criticism,  unheard  of  in  all  former 
ages,  hath  endeavoured  to  derive  evidence  for  scarcity  of 
water,  from  the  Greek  text  of  the  Evangelist  John,  and 
to  render  7ro/A«  v^^las,  not  much  %vater,  but  many  waters, 
and  then  by  an  ingenious  supposition,  to  infer  that  many- 
waters  signifies,  not  many  waters  collected  into  one,  but 
waters  parted  into  many  little  rills,  which  might  all  serve 
for  sprinkling,  but  could  not  any  one  of  them  be  used  for 
dipping  :  as  if  one  man  could  possibly  want  many  brooks 
for  the  purpose  of  sprinkling  one  person  at  a  time. 

It  is  observable  that  the  rivers  Euphrates  at  Babylon, 
Tiber  at  Rome,  and  Jordan  in  Palestine,  are  all  described 
by  5r<»A/«  v^kIx.  Jeremiah  speaks  of  the  first,  and  ad- 
dressing Babylon  says,  O  thou  that  dwellest  upon  many 
waters,  thine  end  is  come  (9) ;  for  Babylon  was  situated 
on  what  the  Jews  called  the  river,  the  ^rt-^r  river  Eu- 
phrates (1).  The  Evangelist  John  describes  Rome, 
which  was  built  on  the  Tiber,  by  saying,  The  great  har- 
lot, the  great  city  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  sitteth  upon  many  waters  (2).  Ezekiel  describes 
ludea  and  Jordan,  by  saying  to  the  pi.nces  of  Israel, 

(8)  Reland  in  Salem.    Ainon.    Bethshean.  (9>  Chap.  li.  13. 

(1)  Gen.  XV.  18.    Deut,  i.  7.    Josh.  i.  4.  (2)  Rev.  xvii.  1.  IB. 


WHERE    JOHN    BAPTIZED.  27 

Your  mother  is  a  lioness,  her  uhelps  devour  men,  she 
was  fruitful  by  reason  of  many  ivaters  ;  an  evident  allu- 
sion to  the  lions  that  lay  in  the  thickets  of  Jordan  (3). 
The  thunder  which  agitates  clouds,  charged  with  floods, 
is  called  the  voice  of  the  Lord  upon  many  ivaters  :  and 
the  attachment  that  no  mortifications  can  annihilate,  is  a 
love  which  7nany  waters  cannot  quench,  neither  can  the 
j^oocis  drown  (4).  How  it  comes  to  pass  that  a  mode  of 
speaking,  which  on  every  other  occasion  signifies  miic/iy 
should  in  the  case  of  baptism  signify  little,  is  a  question 
easy  to  answer.  The  meaning  of  doubtful  words  is  best 
fixed  by  ascertaining  the  facts,  which  they  were  intended 
to  represent. 

Salim  was  at  least  fifty  miles  north  up  the  river  Jor- 
dan from  the  place  where  John  had  begun  to  baptize. 
iEnon,  near  it,  was  either  a  natural  spring,  an  artificial  re- 
servoir, or  a  cavernous  temple  of  the  sun,  prepared  by 
the  Canaanites,  the  ancient  idolatrous  inhabitants  of  the 
land.  The  eastern  versions,  that  is,  the  Syriack,  Eth/o- 
pick,  Persick,  and  Arabick  of  the  gospel  of  John  (5),  as 
well  as  the  Hebrew  and  Chaldean  Ain-yon,  or  Gnain-yon, 
suggest  these  opinions,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  is 
the  precise  meaning  of  the  Evangelist's  word  vEnon,  and 
it  is  not  certain  whether  the  plain  meaning  be,  John  was 
baptizing  at  the  Dow-sprmg  near  Salim,  or  John  was 
baptizing  at  the  Su?i-fountain  near  Salim. 

To  take  the  matter  from  the  beginning.  It  seems  to 
have  been  an  universal  custom  derived  from  the  first 
fathers  of  mankind,  to  describe  the  world  by  resem- 
blances of  the  human  body.  Hence,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  the 
ynouthoia  river,  the Jbot  of  a  mountain,  the  drow  of  a  hill, 
the  face  of  SL  country.  The  scripture  abounds  with  such 
similitudes  ;  a  plain  between  two  prominent  hills  is  a 
dwelling  between  shouldersy  a  bay  near  the  mouth  of 

(3)  Ezek.  xix.        Numb.  xxlv.  7.  (4)  Psal.  xxix.  S.     Cant.  viii.  7. 

(5)  Feme?  Syriaca.  Baptlzabatauteraet  Johannes  in  In-J on  {fontecol- 
uvibx)  quod  est  ad  latus  Salim  :  quoniam  aqus 
erant  lllic  multse. 

Vers.  Persica.  Et  Johannes  etiam  in  fonte  Jon,  qui  juxta  Sa- 
lim est,  baptizabat,  eo  quod  aquaibi  multaesset, 
homines  igitur  illic  baptizati  sunt. 

Vers.  Arabida.  Et  Johannes  baptizabat  etiam  in  fonte  Nun,  qui 
est  ad  latus  Salim  ob  multitudinem  aquoe  ibidem. 

Vers.  iEtbiopica.  Et  erat  Johannes  baptista  in  Henonprope  Salim_, 
quia  erant  ibi  muUse  aquse. 


28  or    THE    PLACES 

Jordan  is  a  tongue,  a  mountain  is  a  head,  of  which  trees, 
bushes,  and  vegetables,  are  the  hair,  a  prominence  is  a 
breast,  a  cliff  is  a  nose,  and  the  bed  of  the  ocean  is  the  hol- 
low of  God's  hand.  Through  all  the  Plast,  a  spring,  or 
fountain,  or  well-head,  was  called  Ain  (6).  or  with  a  nasal 
sound,  gnain,an  eye;  and  the  name  was  carried  by  the  Phe- 
nicians  into  all  the  countries  where  they  travelled,  and  it 
remains  incorporated  into  various  languages  and  in  a  va- 
riety of  compound  words  to  this  diiy  (7).  From  ain,  cor- 
rupted into  an,  aun,  on,  don,  ern,  een,  eyen,  eya,  auye, 
ooghe,  proceeded  in  various  countries  different  words. 
In  Egypt,  On  and  Zoan  with  the  Hebrews,  and  Tanis, 
Taphnis,  Tahaphanes,  with  others.  A  Scythian  ain  be- 
came Tanais,  the  river  dividing  Asia  from  Europe,  now 
the  river  Don  of  Muscovy.  A  Persian  ain,  adjacent  to 
which  was  a  temple  in  a  grove,  became  with  the  Greeks, 
Anaia,  Anaitis,  Anaitidos,  Anea,  Nanca,  Diana,  the  god- 
dess of  fountains  (8).  From  a  Syrian  ain,  near  Antioch, 
came  Daphne,  the  daughter  of  a  river,  and  the  parent  of 
ever-green  shrubs,  as  the  laurel  and  the  bay  (9).  Hence 
came  Ain-tab,  Ain-zarba,  or  Ana-zarba,  Ain-ob,  Ino- 
pus,  the  Pythian  spring,  or  the  fountain  of  Diana  and 
Apollo  at  Delos  (1).  Antiquaries  observe,  that  Bath  in 
England  was  once  called  Tr-ennaint  twiymin  (2)  ;  that 
Scotland  hath  its  Annan,  a  place  of  two  medical  springs 
Separated  by  a  small  rock  ;  that  Waterford  in  Ireland 
was  once  called  ^f^/j-apia  ;  and  that  Ancaster  in  Lin- 
colnshire hath  a  spring  at  each  end  of  the  town,  and,  as 
there  is  no  more  water  from  thence  to  Lincoln,  the  name 
tells  its  own  Saxon  and  British  history  (.3), 

Such  eyes  of  water  were  of  infinite  value  in  the  East. 
When  Moses  was  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  he  ascended 
mount  Nebo  to  survey  the  promised  land.  Wide  spread 
before  him,  at  the  foot  of  Nebo,  lay  the  great  plain,  slop- 

(6)  V'fd.  Buxtorf  Gig-gei  aliorque  Lexic.  Castelli  Lex.  Heptaglot .  Ain. 
Heb.  Oculus.  Fons.  Chald.  Oculiis.  Foramen  furni.  foramen  lapidis 
molaris,  &c.  Syriac.  Oculus.  Fons.  Samar.  ibid.  yEthiop,  Oculus. 
Fons.      Arab.   Oculus.    Fons.    Lacln-vma,  viva  aqua,  &c. 

(7)  GigGcei  Lcxic.  Arab.  Jac.  Golii  Lexic.  Arabico.  Latin.  Ludolfi  Lex 
JEthiopico    Latin.   Herbelot.  Bib.  Orient,  &c. 

(8)  Bocharti  Phaleg.  Lib.  iv.  cap.  xix.  Assur. 

(9)  Chanaan.  lib.  i.  cap.  xvi.  Pluenices  in  Bieotia. 

(1)  Greg.  Abul.  Pharagii.  Hist.  Dynast.    Bocliarti  Chanaan.  lib.  i.  cap.  xiv, 

(2)  Camden's  Britannia. 

(3)  Dr.  Campbell's  Political  Survey  of  Great-Britain,  vol,  i.  chap.  v.  On 
vsaterat 


WHERE    JOHN    BAPTISED.  29 

ing  from  him  down  to  Jordan,  then,  rising  again 
from  the  river,  it  joined  the  high  grounds,  swelling 
into  prominences  ;  behind  which  protuberated  hills, 
beyond  which  hnge  n»ountains  heaved  their  gigantick 
heads,  some  bare,  others  rugged,  and  others  cov- 
ered with  timber,  verdure,  and  fruits,  wheat,  barley, 
vines,  figs,  promegranates,  and  olives.  The  man  of 
God  took  particular  notice  of  what  he  calls  the  eyes^  that 
is,  the  live  waters  springing  into  natural  basons,  and  run- 
ning in  brooks  among  vallies  and  hills,  and  for  their 
sakes  he  pronounced  it  an  excellent  country  (  i).  Mi- 
ners observe  the  tinct  of  spring  waters,  and  the  incrus- 
tations of  the  beds,  in  which  their  rivulets  run.  The 
Easterns  did  so.  Jacob  remarked  the  red  eyes  of  the 
land  of  Judah,  and  it  was  an  observation  of  mineral  col- 
ours that  made  Moses  add,  when  he  was  praising  the 
land  of  eyes,  a  landivhose  stones  are  iron,  and  out  of  whose 
hills  thou  mayest  dig  brass  (5).  It  was  natural  to  assim- 
ilate different  springs  to  the  eyes  of  different  animals  to  de- 
scribe the  qualities  of  the  waters.  A  spring  bursting  vi- 
olently fronra  steep  rock  was  called  An-zabba,  the  eye 
of  a  bear,  there  was  a  kind  of  fury  in  it;  and  a  sparkling 
human  eye  in  which  the  graces  played,  was  likened  to  wa- 
ters enlivened  by  the  activity  of  little  spangling  fish,  thine 
€yes  are  like  the  fish-pools  of  Heshbon  (6).  The  spring 
where  John  baptized  was  called  the  doue^s  eye.  The 
prophet  Nahum  describes  waters  running  off  in  streams 
gurgling  among  stones,  as  doves  that  wander  cooing,  or, 
as  the  English  version  hath  it,  tabering  through  the  sol- 
itary grove  (7)  According  to  this,  iEnon  was  a  cavern- 
ous spring,  and  such  were  of  great  account  in  Judea, 
especially  in  some  seasons.  There  was  in  the  time  of 
Ahab  a  famine,  occasioned  by  a  drought  of  three  years. 
The  king  in  extremity  commanded  Obadiah  to  go 
through  one  part  of  the  land,  while  he  surveyed  another 
to  search  for  grass  to  save  the  cattle  alive,  and  he  partic- 
ularly charged  him  to  go  to  all  eyes  of  water.  Near 
such  eyes  there  were  caverns,  and  in  one  of  them  Oba- 
diah had  hid  and  fed  an  hundred  prophets  of  the  Lord 
in  time  of  persecution  (8)     If  Enon  were  an  excavation 

(4)  Deut.  xxxii.  49.    viii.  7.  (5)  Verse  9.  (6)  Cant.  vii.  4. 

(7)  Nahum  ii.  6,  &c.     Diod.  Sic.  Lib.  ii.      The   river   Tigris  swelling 
with  incessant  rains  broke  down  the  wall  for  twenty  furlong-s. 

(8)  1  Kings  xviii. 


30  OF   THE   PLACES  WHERE   JOHN  BAPTIZE*. 

of  this  kind,  John  baptized  in  a  natural  baptistery,  the 
walls  and  arches,  the  dome  and  windows  of  which,  were 
sculptured  without  hands.  Here  he  was  covered  from 
the  heat,  sheltered  from  wind  and  rain,  free  from  noise 
and  interruption,  and  plentifully  supplied  with  water  in 
the  natural  stone  basons  of  the  rock.  Were  it  necessa- 
ry, persons  now  alive  might  be  named,  who  were  bap- 
tized by  immersion  in  similar  places  in  Great- Britain. 
The  natural  caverns  and  artificial  quarries  of  some 
rocks  in  Judea  were  very  capacious,  and  in  that  at  Adul- 
lam,  David  concealed  four  hundred  fighting  men,  beside 
old  people,  women  and  children  (9).  Ancient  Greek 
missals,  and  rude  sculptures  in  subterranean  caverns 
near  Rome,  describe  John  preaching  and  baptizing  by- 
immersion  in  cavernous  places  (l) ;  but  whether  the 
Christian  artists  intended  to  describe  the  history  of  John, 
or  their  own  practice,  or  both,  is  a  question.  Certain  it 
is,  such  places  were  in  Judea,  and  it  is  not  improbable 
iEnon  near  Salim  was  one. 

Springs  issuing  from  the  fissures  of  a  rock,  gurgling 
through  the  chinks  as  waters  out  of  bottles,  falling  from 
crag  to  crag,  murmuring  from  bed  to  bason,  and  from 
bason  to  bed,  fretting  along  the  ragged  sides  of  a  rocky 
channel,  and  echoing  through  rude  and  spacious 
caverns,  would  form  what  the  Jews  called  a  Do've-ivater^ 
or,  if  it  flowed  from  a  natural  spring,  in  their  figurative 
style,  a  Doi^e's-eye,  It  is  credible,  such  a  clean  and  plen- 
tiful  baptismal  stream  was  much  to  the  purpose,  and 
much  in  the  taste  of  such  a  man  as  John.  The  inhabi- 
tants accounted  such  waters  the  greatest  of  blessings ;  but 
as  they  might  by  accident  become  injurious,  by  afford- 
ing  a  supply  to  foreign  invaders  of  the  land,  they  took 
care  in  such  cases,  to  conceal  both  the  water  and  the 
sound  from  their  enemies,  and  to  convey  the  stream  by 
subterranean  pipes  into  their  cities  to  supply  the  inhab- 
itants, and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  the  first  founders  of 
towns  consulted  this  advantage  in  determining  where  to 
place  them.  In  the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  the  Assyrians  in- 
vaded Judah  (2).  The  king  took  counsel  ivith  his  prin- 
ces and  his  mighty  men,  to  stop  the  waters  of  the  fountains^ 

(9)  1  Sam.  xxli. 

IX)  PauH  Aringii.    Roma  subierranea.     l*aciaudi  Antiq.  Christiany 

(2)  2  Kings  iii.  19.        3  Chron,  xxxii.  3. 


,       or   THE  PERSONS  WHOM  JOHN   BAPTIZED,  &C.      31 

Huhich  were  without  the  city  :  and  they  did  help  him.  So 
there  was  gathered  much  people  together,  who  stopt  all  the 
fountains,  and  the  brook  that  ran  through  the  midst  of  the 
land,  saying.  Why  should  the  kings  of  Assyria  come^ 
and  find  much  ivater  ?  This  custom  prevailed  in 
all  ages,  and  William,  Archbishop  of  Tyre,  who  in  the 
eleventh  century  was  in  a  crusading  army,  mentions  the 
same  thing  (3).  This  iEnon  therefore  might  supply 
Salim  with  water,  and  as  it  was  a  time  of  peace,  near  the 
city,  and  plentiful  enough  to  supply  the  inhabitants,  it 
must  have  been  highly  convenient  for  the  baptism  of  im- 
mersion. 

Adjacent  to  some  of  the  fountains  of  Judea  were  build- 
ings, reservoirs,  and  large  receptacles  of  water,  cisterns 
of  great  size,  and  baths  both  simple  and  medicinal.  Of 
the  latter  were  the  hot  wells  of  Tiberias,  Gadara,  CaU 
lirhoe,  and  other  places.  Near  Ramah  there  yet  remains, 
of  very  ancient  work,  a  reservoir  a  hundred  and  sixty- 
feet  long,  and  a  hundred  and  forty  broad  (4).  Such 
also  of  different  sizes,  and  for  different  purposes,  were 
those  at  Tabor,  Jerusalem,  Etham,  and  the  gardens  of 
Solomon.  One  of  the  fountains  of  Judah  was  called  Ain- 
rogel,  the  FuUer's-eye,  because  there  fullers  cleansed 
stuffs  (5).  Who,  among  this  variety  and  uncertainty, 
can  at  this  distance  exactly  determine  what  kind  of  wa- 
ter this  at  iEnon  was  ?  One  thing  only  is  certain,  that 
there  was  much  or  many  waters. 

[  Similar  critical  observations  are  continued  for  a  num- 
ber of  pages  more,  with  which  a  number  of  other  things 
are  connected.  But  it  is  judged  it  has  bedn  clearly 
shown  that  Enon  contained  water  sufficient  for  dipping.] 

Editor.. 


CHAP.  IV. 

OF   THE    PERSONS   WHOM    JOHN    BAPTIZED,    AND   PARTICU- 
LARLY  JESUS. 

PRESUMPTUOUS  as  it  may  appear,  for  a  monk  in 
Africa  to  add  to  a  history  of  what  was  done  in  Asia, 
and   recorded  by -eye   witnesses  three  hundred  years 

(3)  Willem.  Tyren.   Archiep.  Hist.    I/ib.  vlii.  p.  749. 

(4)  Reland.    Be  Fontibus  Palxstinx.    De  Thermis  Palcesi. 

(5)  Ain-aim,  Gen.  xxxviii.  21,  -  -  -  Ain-am,  Josh.  xv.  34,  &c. 


32  or    THE    PERSONS 

before  he  was  born,  yet  this  is  what  St.  Augustine  did, 
by  affirming  that  Jesus  baptized  John(l):  but  Augus- 
tine had  an  ecclesiastical  system  to  serve,  and  according 
to  his  sytem  no  unbaptized  person  could  administer 
valid  baptism  to  another  ;  and  yet  t!ie  evangelists  do  not 
say  either  that  John  baptized  himself,  or  that  Jesus  baptiz- 
ed him,  or  that  he  was  ever  baptized  at  all.  Their  silence 
is  respectable,  and  to  curve  history  to  serve  system  is 
neither  wise  nor  just  ;  but  Augustine  knew  how  much 
depended  on  affirming  that  only  his  own  party  could 
baptize.  There  is  in  the  royal  library  at  Turin  a  manu- 
script of  the  twelfth  century,  containing  a  fabulous  histo- 
ry of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  and  in  it  is  a  fanciful 
representation  of  baptism,  and  on  one  side  of  the  picture 
these  words,  "Ubi  XPS.  et  Ihoannes  in  lordane 
flumine  tincti  fyerunt." — "  Where  Christ  and  John 
were  baptized  in  the  river  Jordan  (i)"  It  is  not 
wonderful  that  such  a  man,  pretending  to  inspiration, 
should  utter  oracles  ;  but  it  is  really  astonishing  that  any 
should  be  so  inconsistent,  with  the  true  histories  in  their 
hands,  as  to  believe  him. 

It  doth  not  appear  that  John  baptized  any  persons  of  rank 
and  fortune.  No  great  names  were  seen  among  his 
converts.  The  Pharisees  in  reputation  for  piety,  and  the 
lawyers,  famous  for  their  knowledge  of  the  law,  rejected 
the  counsel  of  God  by  John,  and  were  not  baptized  by 
him.  This,  however,  to  such  as  know  the  men,  doth 
not  form  even  a  prejudice  in  disfavour  of  the  ministry  of 
John. 

It  is  generally  supposed  John  baptized  great  mul- 
titudes. His  converts  indeed  were  of  the  multitude,  but 
it  is  far  from  being  clear  that  they  were  very  numerous. 
All  Jerusalem,  all  Judea,  and  all  the  region  round  about, 
tvent  out  to  him ;  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees 
came  to  his  baptism^  but  they  went  only  as  spectators, 
they  went  out.as  the  Lord  Jesus  expresses  it,Jbr  to  see  {3)  ; 
and  this  will  appear  most  worthy  of  befief  to  such  as  con- 
sider the  general  character  of  the  Jewish  populace  and 
their  blind  guides,  and  the  pre-requisites  necessary  to 
John's  baptism,  especially  when  it  it  observed,  that  after 

(1)  Augustini  Op.  torn,  v,  serm.  293. 

(2)  P.  M.  Paciaudii  Antiq.  Christian.  Soma  1755,  Dissert.  3,  cap.  g. 
Membranaceus  is  est  signatus  que  D.  v.  39- 

(5)  Matt.  iii.  5.  7.  xv.  7.  8.  9. 


WHOM    JOHN    BAPTIZED,    &C.  33 

the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  (and  it  is  supposed  all  Christ- 
ians saw  him)  the  greatest  number  of  believers  assem- 
bled together  at  any  one  time  were  not  jnaoy  above  five 
hundred  (4).  John's  disciples  were  of  the  common  peo- 
ple, of  that  class  of  mankind,  which  of  all  others  is 
most  friendly  to  free  inquiry. 

In  the  kingdom  of  heaven  which  John  was  forming, 
rank  was  nothing,  superior  faculties  were  nothing,  mor- 
al excellence  was  all  in  all,  and  foith  and  repentance  were 
indispensable  qualifications  for  baptism  ;  for  on  John's 
part  there  was  no  collusion,  on  that  of  his  converts  no 
blind  credulity,  and  the  individuals  whom  the  Baptist 
formed  into  a  people  were  distiiiguished  by  three  charac- 
ters, a  character  of  freedom,  a  character  of  piety,  and  a 
character  of  virtue. 

I.  A  character  o^ freedom.  John  taught,  but  he  em- 
ployed no  force,  he  used  no  allurements,  offered  no  bribes, 
nor  did  any  thing  to  give  an  unworthy  bias.  He  pub- 
lished a  fact,  of  the  truth  of  which  all  the  world  was  left 
free  to  judge,  and  it  was  a  circumstance  highly  favoura- 
ble to  his  doctrine,  that  no  power  in  being  took  it  under 
patronage.  It  was  left  in  the  country  among  the  com- 
mon people,  wholly  to  itself,  at  a  distatice  from  the  court, 
the  temple,  and  the  army,  and  many  of  his  hearers  ful- 
ly examined,  and  freely  entered  on  the  economy  ;  for 
they  had  nothing  but  conviction  to  induce  them  to  act  as 
they  did. 

II.  A.  character  o^ piety.  The  fact  was  contained  in 
the  prophecies,  and  the  disciples  of  John  believed  them, 
giving  themselves  up  by  baptism  to  the  guidance  of  him 
whomsoever  God  had  appointed  Lord  of  the  t^conomy, 
whenever  it  should  please  God  to  make  him  known. 

III.  A  character  o{  liirtiie.  I  baptize  you,  said  John, 
at^  or  upon  your  repentance^  your  invisible  abhorrence  of 
sin,  manifested  by  fruits  meet  for  repentance,  that  i-,  by 
reformation.  Except  in  one  instance,  John  baptized  on- 
ly persons  having  these  characters. 

This  one  instance  was  the  baptism  of  Jesus.     In  per- 
fect freedom,  with  eminent  piety  and  virtue,  but  without 
any  profession  of  repentance,   Jesus  was  baptized.     By 
this  he  entered  on  his  publick  ministry.     When  John  be- 
5 
(4)  X  Cor.  XV.  6.    Mat.  xxvUi.  10.    John  xx.  17- 


S4  OF    THE    PERSONS 

gan  to  baptize  atBcthabara  beyond  Jordan,  his  first  bap- 
tismal station,  Jesus  resided  at  Nazareth  in  Galilee,  and 
he  did  not  arrive  at  Bethabara  till  all  the  people  had  been 
baptized  (5).  There  is  some  difficulty  in  harmonizing 
this  part  of  the  history.  The  following  appears  the  most 
probable  train  of  events. 

The  Jews  had  many  ills  of  various  kinds,  and  they  ex- 
pected a  deliverer,  but,  more  sensible  to  civil  inconve- 
niences than  to  spiritual  disorders,  and  to  the  condition 
of  their  own  nation  than  to  that  of  all  mankind,  they  hope- 
ed  to  see  a  temporal  prince  invested  with  power  to  grat- 
ify the  ambition  and  avarice  of  the  seed  of  Abraham. 
When  John  appeared  proclaiming  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah,  the  rulers  of  the  metropolis  sent  messengers  to 
him  to  obtain  authentick  information  of  what  he  meant. 
John  informed  them  of  what  he  knew,  that  he  did  not  pre- 
tend to  be  the  Messiah,  that  however  he  was  standing 
among  them,  and  would  in  due  time  be  made  known. 
John  and  Jesus  were  near  akin,  their  mothers  were  inti- 
mate, and  John  it  seems  knew  him  when  he  came  to  be 
baptized,  and  paid  that  respect  to  him  which  was  due 
from  a  man  of  inferior  talents  and  virtue  to  his  superi- 
or. When  Jesus  came  to  Jordan,  John  knowing  his 
general  character,  said,  I  ha've  need  to  be  baptized  of  thee  ; 
but  he  did  not  know  till  after  he  had  baptized  him,  that 
he  was  the  Messiah,  for  He,  who  sent  him  to  baptize,  had 
informed  him  that  he  should  know  the  Messiah  from  ev- 
ery other  man  by  a  visible  sign.  /  knew  him  not,  but  that 
he  should  be  made  manifest  unto  Israel.  I  knew  him  not^ 
hut  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  with  water,  the  same  said  unto 
me,  upon  whom  thou  shah  see  the  spirit  descending  and  re- 
maining, the  same  is  he. 

'1  o  Bethabara,  amidst  a  great  multitude  of  spectators, 
in  presence  of  those  who  had  been  baptized,  and  were 
now  in  wailing  for  him,  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lordy 
and  while  John  was  conversing  with  the  deputation  from 
Jerusalem,  Jesus  came  to  be  baptized,  giving  by  his  con- 
duct, as  well  as  by  his  language  to  John,  the  most  une- 
quivocal proof  of  his  entire  approbation  of  water  baptism. 
Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness.  The 
very  handsome  and  respectful  manner  in  which  John  re- 
ceived Jesus,  and  the  conversation  that  passed  between 

(5)  Luke  iii.  21.        Mat.  Ui.  13.        ii.  23. 


WHOM    JOHN    BAPTIZED,    &C.  85 

them,  no  doubt,  held  up  Jesus  to  the  multitude  as  some 
person  of  singular  merit,  produced  a  pause,  and  a  pro- 
found silence,  and  attracted  ever}'  eye  to  behold  the  man. 
Immediately  after  John  had  baptized  Jesus,  he  went  up 
out  of  the  water  praying,  and  while  he  was  going  up,  the 
clouds  parted,  and  a  bright  light  appeared  hovering  over 
him,  falling  and  rising,  rising  and  falling,  as  a  dove  hov- 
ers when  it  is  about  to  alight,  and  at  length  settling  on 
him.  This  was  placing  his  person  in  full  view,  so  that 
his  features  could  not  be  mistaken,  and,  to  those  who  saw 
him,  his  face  must  ever  after  have  been  the  best  known 
face  in  Judea.  While  the  spectators  were  beholding  this 
new  and  strange  appearance,  a  voice  from  heaven  said, 
This  is  my  belo'oed Son,  in  whom  lam  we// pleased.  John 
seeing  the  promised  sign,  exclaimed,  addressing  lumself 
to  the  deputation  from  Jerusalem,  This  is  he  of  whom  I 
said^  he  that  cometh  after  me  is  preferred  before  me  ;  and  he 
repeated  the  same  record  the  two  succeeding  days,  on 
seeing  Jesus  walking,  and  so  engaged  his  disciples  to  de- 
liver themselves  up  to  the  Son  of  God,  which  was  the 
chief  design  of  his  ministry. 

It  is  supposed  the  deputation  from  Jerusalem  was  pres- 
ent, because  some  time  after,  when  Jesus  was  at  Jerusa- 
lem he  reproved  the  citizens  for  their  obstinate  infidelity, 
spoke  of  the  embassy  to  John,  and,  according  to  some 
criticks,  referring  to  the  voice  Jrom  heaven  and  the  lu- 
minous appearance,  asked,  Haiie  ye  i2eDer  at  any  time 
heard  his  voice,  or  seen  his  shape  (C)  ?  implying  tliat  they 
had. 

John  had  foretold  that  Jesus  would  baptize  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  with  fire,  and  various  opinions  are  form- 
ed of  his  meaning.  An  ingenious  foreigner  supposes 
(7),  that  John  alluded  to  a  statute  in  the  law,  which  says, 
Every  thing  that  may  abide  the  fire,  ye  shall  make  it  go 
through  the  fire — and  all  that  abideth  not  the  fire,  ye  shall 
make  it  go  through  the  water  :  and  that  he  intended  to 
inform  the  Jews,  not  of  the  tongues  of  fire  to  be  exhibit- 
ed at  Pentecost,  but  only  in  general,  that  Jesus  would  ex- 
ercise a  much  more  effectual  ministry  than  he,  that  he 
would  purify  some  by  exciting  in  them  acute  convictions, 

(6)  John  V.  33,  &c.  Dr.  Macknight  quoted  in  the  Theological  Repository, 
Vol.  i.  p.  55   second  edit. 

(7)  Conrad.  Ikenii.     Dissert.  Phiiol-Theol.  Lu^d.    1749.   Dis.  xJx. 


36  WHETHER   THE   BAPTISM  OF  JOHN  WERL 

and  by  trying  them  with  great  calamities,  and  that  he 
would  punish  the  reficictory  and  finally  impenitent  with 
destruction.  Others  (S)  understand  this  of  the  effusion 
of  the  Sjiirit  at  Pentecost,  which  sense  seems  to  be  coun- 
tenanced by  these  words,  Jo!  n  baptized  with  ivater^  but  ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  not  many  days  hence. 


CHAP.  V. 

•WHETHER  THE  BAPTISM  OF  JOHN  WERE  TAKEN  FROM  ANY  JEW- 
ISH WASHINGS,  PARTICULARLY  THAT  OF  PROSELYTES  ? 

IT  is  not  pleasant  to  leave  the  high  road  of  narration  for 
the  thorny  paths  of  controversy.  It  is  a  drudgery,  how- 
ever, which  men  of  great  respectability  have  obliged 
such  as  narrate  the  story  of  Baptism  to  undergo.  It  is 
rot  possible  to  state  the  case  without  entering  into  the 
dispute. 

Before  any  reasonings  from  Jewish  washings,  or  the 
baptism  of  proselytes,  as  it  is  improperly  called,  can  be 
admitted  in  debates  concerning  Christian  baptism,  order 
requires,  that  the  fact  be  ascertained.  Purifications  of 
proselytes  indeed  there  were,  but  there  never  was  any 
such  ceremony  as  baptism  in  practice  before  the  time  of 
John.  If  such  a  rite  had  "existed,  the  regular  priests,  and 
not  John,  would  have  administered  it,  and  there  would 
have  been  no  need  of  anew  and  extraordinary  appointment 
from  heaven  to  give  being  to  an  old  established  custom, 
iior  would  it  have  been  decent  for  John,  or  any  other  man, 
to  treat  native  Jews,  especially  Jesus,  w  ho  had  no  Pagan- 
ism to  put  away,  as  Pagan  proselytes  were  treated.  This 
uninteresting  subject  hath  produced  voluminous  disputes, 
which  may  be  fairly  cut  short  by  demanding  at  the  outset 
substantial  proof  of  the  fact,  that  the  Jews  baptized  ^ros- 
elytes  before  the  time  of  John,  which  can  never  be  done. 

It  is  remarkable  of  this  controversy,  that  they,  who 
most  earnestly  take  the  affirmative,  are  of  all  men  the  least 
interested  ;  for  could  a  christian  rite  be  taken  off  the 
ground  of  immediate  divine  appointment,  and  placed  on 

(8)  Zuinglii  de  Bapthmo.  Lib.  Be  prima  baptisnni  origine.  Calvini  Inst.  iv. 
15.  10.  Chemnitii  Exam.  Trideni.  ad  Canon,  de  Bcipt.  Bullingeri  adv.  Ana- 
bapt.  Lib  vi.  cap.  i.  Musculi  hoc.  com.  De  Bapt.  -Chaniieri  Panstrgt. 
torn,  iv.  De  Bapt. 


TAKEN  FROM   ANY  JEWISH   WASHINGS,   &C.         37 

that  of  human  traditions,  Christianity  would  lose  much 
of  its  glory ;  least  of  all  are  they  interested  in  it,  who  in- 
tend to  establish  a  law  to  sprinkle  the  infants  of  Christ- 
ians, upon  proving,  that  the  Jews  had  a  custom  of  dip- 
ping men  and  women  when  they  renounced  Paganism. 

In  this  hopeless  affair,  could  the  fact  be  demonstrated, 
no  advance  would  be  made  in  the  argument  ;  for  it  would 
be  easy  to  prove,  that  if  it  were  by  tradition,  Jewish  trRdi- 
tions  neither  have  nor  ought  to  have  any  force  with  Christ- 
ians :  and  that  if  it  were  even  an  institute  of  Moses,  the  cer- 
emonies of  Moses  were  abolished  inform  by  an  authority 
which  no  Christian  will  oppose. 

The  legislator  of  the  Jews  instituted  what  an  apostle 
(l)  calls  dhers  washings^  which  were  not  intended  to  be 
perpetual,  but  were  imposed  hy  Moses  on  the  Jews  until 
the  time  of  reformation  by  the  Messiah,  as  all  the  other 
ceremonies  of  that  religion  were. 

The  regular  way  of  considering  this  subject  is  to  set 
out  with  an  inquiry  into  the  duration  of  the  Mosaical 
economy,  or,  to  use  the  language  of  scripture,  the  pre- 
cise period  in  which  Moses  was  to  be  heard  \n  the  charac- 
ter of  a  lawgiver.  This  question  receives  an  answer  from 
Moses  himself,  who  said  to  the  Jews  of  his  own  time,  and 
entered  it  into  a  publick  record  (2)  for  the  information  of 
their  successors,  The  Lord  thy  God  ivill  raise  up  unto  thee 
a  Prophet  from  the  midst  ofthee^  of  thy  brethren^  like  un- 
to me  ;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken.  According  to  all  that 
thou  desiredst  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb,  in  the  day  of 
the  assembly^  saying.  Let  me  not  hear  again  the  'voice  of 
the  Lord  my  God  ;  neither  let  me  see  this  great  f  re  any 
more,  that  I  die  ?iot.  Atid  the  Lord  said  unto  me  they 
ha'ue  well  spoken  that  which  they  haiie  spoken.  I  will 
raise  them  up  a  prophet  from  among  their  brethren^  like 
unto  thee,  and  ivill  put  my  %vords  in  his  mouth,  a?id  he 
shall  speak  unto  tliem  all  that  I  shall  command  him.  Ajid 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoeiicr  shall  not  hearken  un- 
to my  words,  which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name,  I  will  re- 
quire it  of  him.  The  rites  of  Judaism  therefore  were  to 
be  considered  as  institutes  of  God,  and  to  be  obeyed  till 
he  should  think  fit  to  give  new  orders  by  another  pro- 
phet like  Moses.    Some  think  this  prophet  like  Moses  was 

(1)  Heb.  ix.  10.  (2)  Dent,  xviii.  15,  &c. 


38  WHETHER   THE   BAPTISM  OF  JOHN  WERE 

Joshua  (3).  Others  say,  Moses  meant  a  succession  of 
prophets  (-^)  ;  but  the  Jews  in  the  time  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist understood  the  passage  of  the  Messiah  (5)  and  the 
apostle  Peter  directly  applies  it  to  Jesus  (o).  Many 
are  the  resemblances  (■/)  between  Moses  and  Jesus  : 
but  the  most  striking  is  that  which  Eusebius  men- 
tions, and  which  most  modern  expositors  approve, 
that  the  likeness  lay  chiefly  in  legislation  (-).  Oth- 
er prophets  resembled  Moses  in  many  things,  but 
none  of  them  were  law -givers  ;  they  only  interpreted  and 
enforced  the  laiv  of  Moses.  Heuce  it  follows,  that  let 
the  rites  of  Judaism  be  what  they  may,  Christians  are  not 
bound  to  perform  them  because  they  were  instituted  by 
Moses  :  but  it  must  be  proved  that  Jesus  the  successor 
of  Moses,  and  a  legislator  like  him,  hath  re-ordained  them. 
This  point  was  fully  and  finally  settled  in  an  assembly  of 
all  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem  convened  for  the  purpose, 
who  gave  it  under  their  hands  in  writing  (P),  that  they 
had  no  commandment  to  keep  the  lu%v^  that  is,  the  Mosaic- 
al  law  of  ceremonies.  Jewish  ceremonies,  therefore,  are  to 
be  considered  now  only  as  Pagan  rites  are  considered,  as 
histories  of  past  ages,  but  not  as  law  of  present  times. 

Jewish  washings,  instituted  and  not  instituted,  may  be 
conveniently  classed  under  four  heads,  common,  tradi- 
tional, ritual,  and  extraordinary. 

By  common  washings  are  meant  bathings,  which  the 
Jews  in  common  with  all  the  people  of  the  East  practis- 
ed for  cleanliness,  health,  and  pleasure.  The  daughter 
of  Pharaoh  was  going  to  bathe  herself  in  the  river  when 
she  found  Moses  (])-  Bathsheba  was  bathing  when  Da- 
vid first  saw  her  (:>;);  for  the  Jews  had  baths  in  their 
gardens  and  houses.  Private  baths  of  their  oun  were 
more  necessary  to  Jews  resident  in  foreign  countries  than 
toothers ;  for  the  Pagans  adorned  their  publick  baths  \^  ith 
statues  of  their  gods  (3),  and  for  this  reason  the  Jew  nev- 
er entered  them. 

By  traditional  washings  such  are  ip.tended  as  were  en- 
joined by  the  Rabbles  without  any  authority  from  the  writ- 
ings of  Moses.      There  is  a  clear  distinct  account  of 

(3)  Munstei-.     Drusius,     Fagius.    Calmet.  ^4)  Pole.     Le  Clerc. 

(5)  John'i.  21.  (6)   Acts  iii.  22,  23. 

(7)  Jortin.         Newton  on  the  Prophecies.  Vol.  i.  dis.  vi. 

(8)  Eiisebii  Demonst.  Evang.  Lib.i.  cap.  3.         (9)  Acts  xv.  5,  20,  23,  2,4. 
(1)  Exod.  ii.  5.  (2)  2  Sam.  xi.  2. 

(o)  Jo.  Alb.  Fabricii  Bibliograph.  Antiq.  cap.xxii.  sect.  14. 


TAKEN  FROM   ANY  JEWISH   WASHINGS,  &C.        39 

these  in  the  gospel  of  Mark,  to  which  is  added  the  opin- 
ion of  Jesus  concerning  tliem  ( t).  'Then  came  together 
wito  him  the  Pharisees  and  certain  of  the  scribes  w/iick 
came  from,  Jerusalem  :  and  iv hen  they  sa-iv  so?ne  of  his  dis- 
ciples eat  bread  with  defied  (  that  is  to  say  with  iinwash- 
enj  hands,  theyfoiaidfault.-Jorthe  Pharisees  and  all  the  Jews 
except  they  washtheir  hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition 
of  the  elders.  And  when  they  come  from  the  market  ex- 
cept  they  wash,  they  eat  not.  And  many  other  things  there 
be  which  t/uy  haije  received  to  hold,  as  the  washing  of  cups 
and  pots,  and  of  brazen  "oessels  and  tables.  Then  the  Phar- 
isees and  the  scribes  asked  him,  Why  walk  not  thy  disci- 
ples after  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  but  eat  bread  with  un- 
washen  hands  ?  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Well 
hath  Esaias  prophesied  of  you,  hypocrites,  as  it  is  ivritten. 
This  peoiJe  honoureth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is 
far  from  me.  Howbeit,  in  'vain  do  they  worship  me,  teach- 
ing for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men.  For  laying 
aside  the  commandments  of  God,  ye  hold  the  tradition  ofmen^ 
as  the  washing  of  pots  and  cups  ;  cmd  many  other  such 
like  things  ye  do.  And  he  said  unto  them,  full  well  ye  re- 
ject the  commandment  oj  Gody  that  ye  may  keep  your  own 
tradition. 

Although  no  Christians  hold  themselves  bound  by  the 
canons  of  Jewish  Rabbles,  yet  this  passage  hath  been  ex- 
tremely disputed,  for  the  sake  of  determining  the  meaning 
of  the  word  baptize,  some  affirming  that  the  Jews  dipped 
themselvesand  their  utensils;  and  others  that  they  only  pour- 
ed on  water,  and  hence  they  infer  that  to  pour  water  is  to 
baptize.  There  is  nothing  new  to  be  said  on  a  subject 
that  hath  been  so  thoroughly  investigated:  but  an  arrange- 
ment of  what  seems  most  satisfactory  must  suffit-e. 

i.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  whatever  these  washings  or 
baptisms  were,  tliey  were  traditional,  and  censured  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  consequently  that  nothing  determinate 
concerning  them  can  be  inferred  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, or  from  the  approbation  of  Jesus. 

ii.  It  is  said,  the  traditions  of  the  elders,  or,  as  the  Jews 
call  them,  "  the  words  of  the  scribes,  the  commands  of 
the  wise  men,"  expressly  require  dipping.  In  general  (5) 
they  say,  "  wheresoever  in  the  law,  washing  of  the  flesh 

•(4)  Mark  vii.  1 — 9. 

(5)  Maimonides,    J»f»«n,  CV/rm  in  Gill  on  the- pUoe. 


40  WHETHER   THE    BAPTISM    OF   JOHN    WERE 

or  of  clothes  is  mentioned,  it  means  nothing  else  but 
the  dipping  of  the  whole  body  in  water — for  if  any  nian 
wash  himself  all  over,  except  the  top  of  his  little  finger,  he 
is  still  in  his  uncleanness."  In  particular  they  say,  "  in  a 
laver  which  holds  forty  seahs  of  water,  which  are  not 
drawn,  every  defiled  man  dips  himself,  except  a  profiu- 
vious  man  ;  and  in  it  they  dip  all  unclean  vessels.  A  bed 
that  is  wholly  defiled,  if  he  dips  it  part  by  part,  it  is  pure. 
If  he  dips  the  bed  in  the  pool,  although  its  feet  are  plung- 
ed in  the  thick  clay  at  the  bottom  of  the  pool,  it  is  clean. 
What  shall  he  do  v\ith  a  pillow,  or  a  bolster  of  skin  ? 
He  must  dip  them  and  lift  them  up  by  their  fringes."  It 
was  not  a  neglect  but  a  performance  of  these  human  in- 
ventions which  the  Saviour  reproved. 

iii.  It  is  added,  history  explains  how  the  Jews  under- 
stood the  canon.  Dr.  Gale  says,  "  we  have  frequent  men- 
tion among  the  ancients  of  the  Hemero- baptists  (6),  who 
were  so  called  from  their  practice  of  washing  themselves 
in  this  manner  every  day  :  as  in  the  apostolical  constitu- 
tions, where  it  is  noted,  that  unless  they  were  so  washed, 
they  ate  not — they  are  inserted  in  the  catalogue  of  Jewish 
sects  by  Hegesippus  ;  and  Justin  Martyr,  mentioning 
several  sects  also  of  the  Jews,  names  these  among  the  rest, 
and  calls  them  Biiptists  ;  from  this  signification  of  the 
word.  These  washings  are  what  in  the  constitutions  are 
intended  by  daily  washings,  or  baptisms,  as  may  be 
further  confirmed  by  that  account  given  us  of  one  sect 
of  the  Jews  by  Josephus.  TertuUian,  too,  plainly  inti- 
mates, that  the  Jews  used  to  wash  their  whole  bodies, 
when  he  says,  the  Jews  daily  wash  every  part  of  the  body, 
yet  they  are  never  clean." 

iv.  It  is  further  observed  by  the  same  writer,  that  *'  all 
the  versions  in  the  Polyglot  (7),  except  those  of  Monta- 
iius,  and  the  vulgar  Latin,  to  wit,  the  Syriack,  Arabick, 
Ethiopick,  and  Persick,  unanimously  understand  the 
words  in  a  sense  quite  different  from  what  has  been  hith- 
erto mentioned,  that  is,  they  all  take  the  meaning  to  be, 
not  that  the  Jews  washed  themselves,  or  their  hands,  when 
they  came  from  the  market,  but  that  the  herbs,  for  in- 
stance, and  other  things  they  bought  there,  were  first  to 

(6)  Gale's    Reflectinns    on    Wall's    History  of  Infant  Baptism.  Let,  iv. 
where  the  autliorities  are  quoted 

(7)  Gale,  as  above  in  favour  of  this  version,  and  Gill,  Pole,  and  others 
against  it. 


TAKEN  FROM   ANY  JEWISH  WASHINGS,  ScC.  41 

be  washed,  before  they  could  be  eaten.  Thus  they  trans- 
late the  place,  And  %vhat  they  buy  in  the  market,  tmless  it 
be  ivashed,  they  eat  not.  It  must  be  owned,  the  Greek 
is  capable  of  this  sense." 

V.  Commentators  of  great  note  therefore  conclude  that 
the  baptism  of  cups  is  putting  them  into  water  all  over, 
and  rinsing  them  (8).  The  washing  is  a  washing  of 
themselves  all  over  (9)  :  for  they  not  only  washed  their 
hands,  but  immersed  their  whole  bodies  (1). 

The  third  sort  of  washings  were  called  ritual,  because 
they  were  positively  instituted  by  Moses,  and  make  a 
part  of  that  book,  in  which  the  observances  of  the  Jewish 
religion  are  set  down.  These  are  called  purifications, 
and  there  are  several  of  them.  One  was  at  the  conse- 
cration of  priests  (i:),  who  were  first  washed,  then  cloth- 
ed with  sacerdotal  habits,  and  then  with  sacrifices  induct- 
ed,  or  put  into  actual  possession  of  both  the  duties  and 
the  honours  of  the  priesthood. 

A  second  purification  was  daily.  Moses  commanded 
a  laver  of  brass  (3)  to  be  put  betwixt  the  tabernacle  and 
the  altar,  and  water  to  be  put  therein,  for  the  priests  to 
wash  or  dip  their  hands  and  their  feet,  whenever  they 
went  to  the  altar  to  minister.  This  statute  was  in  force 
until  the  dissokition  of  the  economy,  and  the  penalty  for 
the  breach  of  it  was  death  (4). 

A  third  was  the  purifications  of  clothes  stained  with  blood 
in  offering  sacrifices  (5),  which  were  washed ;  and  of  uten- 
sils which  were  washed,  scoured,  and  rinsed  in  water  (6). 

A  fourth  was  the  cleansing  of  a  leper  (7).  His  clothes, 
whether  linen,  woollen,  or  skin,  were  washed  in  water 
twice.  The  priest  always  put  spring  water  into  an 
earthen  vessel,  and  killed  a  bird  over  it  so  that  the  blood 
ran  into  the  water,  then  he  dipped  a  live  bird  into  the 
blood  and  water,  and  let  it  fly ;  next  he  dipped  a  bunch 
of  hyssop  tied  with  a  scarlet  thread  to  the  end  of  a  cedar 
stick,  and  sprinkled  the  patient,  who  shaved  off  all  his 
hair,  washed  his  flesh  in  water,  and  concluded  the  whole 
by  offering  sacrifices. 

(8)  Hammond,  and  others.     (9)  Vatablus  in  Loc.    Se  totos  abluebant. 

(1)  Grotius  in  Loc.  Se  piirgabant  a  fori  coniactu,  quippe  non  manus  tan- 
turn  lavando,  sed  et  corpus  mersando. 

(2)  Exod.  xxix.  4,  &c.  (3)  lb.  xxx.  17,  &c. 
(4)  Maimon.  Be  introitu  in  sanet.  s«ct.  v.             (5)   Lev.  vi.  27. 

(6)  lb.  v«rse  28.  (7)  lb.  ehap.  xii;.  xiv. 

A 


42        WHETHER    THE    BAPTISM    OF    JOHN    WERE 

A  fifth  was  the  purifying  of  various  uncleannesses  (8), 
contracted  by  touching  the  dead,  and  by  any  other  means ; 
in  which  cases,  as  before,  clothes  va  ere  washed,  utensils 
rinsed  in  water,  and  the  people  bathed  themselves  :  for  the 
lawgiver  had  declared,  if  he  ivash  them  not^  nor  bathe  his 
flesh  ;  then  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity. 

The  last  class  ol  Jewish  washings  were  extraordinary. 
One  of  this  kind  is  in  the  history  of  the  healing  Naaman, 
by  the  prophet  Elisha  (!)).  The  prophet  bade  him  go 
and  ivash  in  Jordan  seven  times.  Naaraan  went  down 
and  dipped  himself  seven  times,  and  was  miraculously- 
healed.  Another  was  at  the  giving  of  the  law,  when  the 
Lord  ordered  all  the  people  to  prepare  for  that  most  sol- 
emn of  all  days,  by  sanctifying  themselves,  and  washing 
their  clothes  (1),  and  two  days  were  allowed  for  this  ex- 
traordinary service.  So  after  a  victory  (2),  the  captives 
were  purified,  the  raiment  of  the  conquerors  washed,  and 
the  booty  taken  from  the  enemy  purified  with  water  of 
separation  :  and  in  like  manner  the  people  were  ordered 
to  sanctify  themselves  before  they  passed  through  Jordan 
to  take  possession  of  the  land  of  promise  (3).  All  these 
Were  washings  on  extraordinary  occasions ;  and  the  whole, 
ordinary  and  extraordinary,  were  intended  to  impress  the 
minds  of  the  Jews  with  proper  sentiments  of  the  holiness 
of  God,  and  that  purity  of  heart,  which  he  required  in 
all  his  worshippers.  Except  in  the  single  circumstance 
of  dipping,  none  of  these  washings  bears  the  least  resem- 
blance to  christian-baptism,  and  this  circumstance  is  a  mere 
accident,  and  may  as  well  be  taken  from  Pagan  rituals  as 
from  the  ceremonies  of  the  Jews  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  so 
vague  and  far-fetched  that  it  deserves,  in  this  point  of 
view,  no  consideration  at  all.  Some  learned  men  have 
currently  reported,  that  christian-baptism  is  a  continua- 
tion of  proselyte-baptism  among  the  Jews,  and  it  saves  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  to  believe  the  report  ;  for  if  the 
matter  be  investigated,  the  report  wiil  appear  untrue,  and 
the  reasoning,  from  an  imaginary  fact,  illogical.  There 
was  no  baptism  in  the  world  among  any  people  till  John, 
and  the  purifying  of  a  proselyte  by  dipping  himself, 
which  they  very  inaccurately  call  baptism,  will  appear  to 
have  been  a  late  tradition,  long  after  the  time  of  John. 

(8)  Lev.  chap.  xv.      xviii.  16,  &c.  (9)  2  Kings  v 

( 1)  Exod,  six.  10,  &c.        (2)  Numb.  xxxi.  19,  23,  &.c.       (3)  Josh.  iii.  5- 


TAKEN    FROM    ANY    JEWISH    WASHINGS,    &CC.       43 

The  learned  and  laborious  Dr.  Benson,  than  whom 
no  man  studied  the  history  of  the  New  Testanient  with 
more  attention,  argued  at  first  against  the  opinion  of  "Vir. 
Emlyn,  concerning  the  ceasing  of  baptism  among  such 
as  descended  from  christian  ancestors,  upon  the  sup- 
position that  the  Jewish  custom  of  initiating  heathen  pros- 
elytes by  baptism  was  a  certain  fact,  supported  by  un- 
doubted authority  :  but  on  further  examination  he  saw 
reason  to  doubt  of  that  fact,  and  like  a  generous  investi- 
gator of  truth,  as  he  was,  he  proposed  his  difficulties  with 
a  view  to  excite  a  further  inquiry.     They  are  these  : 

i.  The  doctor  had  "  not  found  any  instance  of  one 
person's  washing  another,  by  way  of  consecration,  puri- 
fication, or  sanctification  ;  except  that  of  Moses  his 
washing  Aaron  and  his  sons,  when  he  set  them  apart  to 
the  office  of  priests.     Lev.  viii.  6," 

ii.  The  doctor  says  ;  "I  cannor  find  that  the  Jews  do 
at  present  practise  any  such  thing  as  that  of  baptizing 
the  proselytes  that  go  over  to  them,  though  they  are  said 
to  make  them  wash  themselves." 

iii.  He  asks,  "  where  is  there  any  intimation  of  such 
a  practice  among  the  Jews  before  ^he  coming  of  our 
Lord  ?  If  any  one  could  produce  any  clear  testimony  of 
that  kind  from  the  Old  Testament,  the  Apocrypha^  Jo- 
sephiis,  or  Philo,  that  would  be  of  great  moment." 

iv.  He  adds  :  "in  former  times,  proselytes,  coming 
over  from  heathenism  to  the  Jewish  religion,  used  to 
•ivash  themsehes  ;  which  is  a  very  different  thing  from 
baptism^  or  one  person's  being  washed  by  another. 
Though  I  must  own,  I  cannot  see  how  infants  could 
wash  themselves  (4)." 

The  modest  Dr.  Benson  was  pleased  to  add,  that  he 
wished  to  see  these  difficulties  cleared  up,  and  that  he 
could  not  answer  fl//that  Dr.  Wall  and  Mr.  Emlyn  had 
said  in  support  of  proselyte-baptism  :  but  with  all  pos- 
sible deference  to  this  most  excellent  critick,  it  may  be 
truly  said,  he  hath,  by  stating  his  difficulties,  fully  an- 
swered both  these  writers  ;  for,  if  what  they  call  prose- 
lyte-baptism was  «or  baptism,  and  if  there  was  no  institu- 
tion of  such  a  washing  as  they  call  baptism  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, and  no  mention  of  such  a  thing  in  the  Apocrypha, 

(4)  On  St.  Paul's  Epistles.  Vol.  i.  dis.  viii.  part  ii.  The publick  luorshifi  of 
thefnt  Chrimant.     Chap.  v.  S.  ii.  -  — Liglitfoot's  viorks.  Vol.  ii.  p.  120. 


44        WHITHER    THE    BAPTISM    OF    JOHN    WERE 

or  in  Josephus,  or  in  Philo,  what  at  this  age  of  the  world 
signify  the  conjectures  of  a  Lightfoot  and  a  Wall,  or 
even  an  Emlyn  ? 

A  fact  it  is,  beyond  all  contradiction,  that  this  same  pros- 
elyte-washing,  which  learned  men  have  thought  fit  to  call 
baptism,  isnobaptismat  all,  biit,asDr.  Benson  truly  says, a 
very  different  thing,  and  that  in  which  infants  could  have  no 
share.  It  was  a  person's  crashing  himself,  and  not  the  dip- 
ping of  one  person  by  another.  It  is  conceivable  that,  if 
such  a  practice  had  existed,  the  whole  formulary  would 
not  have  been  settled  and  published,  or  mentioned,  or 
hinted  at  by  the  Jews,  whose  scrupulosity  in  the  manner 
of  doing  the  most  minute  affairs  is  so  notorious.  On 
supposition,  the  existence  of  such  a  practice  could  be 
proved,  what  then  ?  Nothing  at  all  in  regard  to  baptism. 
It  would  appear  that  a  proselyte  washed  himself,  but  this 
is  not  baptism.  Dr.  Lightfoot  led  the  baptizers  of  infants 
into  this  labyrinth,  and  no  learned  man  ever  did  more  to 
render  words  equivocal  than  he.  If  there  be  a  word  in 
the  New  Testament  of  a  determinate  meaning,  it  is  the 
word  baptism  :  yet,  by  a  course  of  sophistry,  it  shall  be 
first  made  synonymous  with  washing,  and  then  washing 
shall  be  proved  synonymous  with  sprinkling,  and  then 
sprinkling  shall  be  called  baptism.  Thus  the  book  in- 
tended to  instruct  shall  be  taught  to  perplex  :  the  book 
in  the  world  the  most  determinate  shall  be  rendered  the 
most  vague  :  the  book,  the  credit  of  which  is  absolutely 
ruined  if  it  admit  of  double  meanings,  shall  of  all  others 
be  rendered  the  most  mysterious  book  in  the  world,  say- 
ing every  thing,  and  of  course  narrating  and  proving 
nothing  (5). 

It  is  necessary,  however,  to  give  some  account  of 
proselyte-baptism.  A  proselyte  must  be  described,  the 
fact  of  his  baptism  must  be  ascertained,  and  it  must  be 
inquired  to  what  practical  uses  the  subject  can  be  applied. 

i.  A  proselyte  must  be  described.  There  were  among 
the  Jews  two,    some  say  three  sorts  of  proselytes  (6). 

'  (5)  See  Dr.  Benson's  Essay  concerning  the  Unity  of  Sense  ;  to  shew  that  n» 
text  of  scripture  has  more  than  one  single  sense,  page  11. 

(6)  To  avoid  repetitions,  the  substance  of  this  part  is  taken  chiefly 
from  the  following'  authors  apud  Bias.     U^olin.     Thesaur.   Antiq.     Venet. 

1759,  torn,  sxii Pauli  Slevogti  Diss,  de  prosyl.  judteor Jo  Gregor, 

Mulleri  Diss,  de  prosyl Johan.  Reiskii  de  Bapt.  Judifor Jo.  And. 

Danzii  Bapt.  proselyt.  Judaic Gill's  Body  of  Divinity.     Vol.  iii.   and 

l^reface  to  the  New  Test. Hammond  and  Lightfoot  on  Matt.  iii.  —  Ow- 
en's Theologoumena Wall's  Jlist.  of  Inf.  Bapt. Gale's  Refections 

on  wan. 


TAKEN    FROM    ANY    JEWISH    WASHINGS,    &C.       45 

The  first  were  called  proselytes  of  the  gate  ;  the  second 
were  denominated  mercenary  or  hired  ;  the  third  were 
€5al!ed  proselytes  of  righteousness.  Philoand  Josephus, 
who  lived  nearest  the  time  of  Jesus,  both  mention  pros- 
elytes, but  neither  says  one  word  about  the  baptism 
of  them.  The  genuine  Targums(7),  written  about 
the  close  of  the  first  century,  and  the  Misnah,  written 
about  the  middle  of  the  second  century,  say  nothing  on 
this  subject.  The  christian  writers  called  Fathers  speak 
of  Jewish  proselytes,  and  washings,  and  purification 
from  ceremonial  uncleannesses  :  but  nothing  of  admit- 
ting proselytes  into  the  community  by  baptizing.  This 
baptism  of  proselytes  came  to  light,  through  the  later 
Rabbies,  and  it  is  chiefly  to  be  sought  in  the  writings  of 
Maimonides(8),  or  Rabbi  Moses  Ben  Maimon,  who 
flourished  in  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century  at  the  head 
of  a  famous  school  in  Egypt.  This  justly  celebrated 
writer  composed  the  best  system  of  the  civil  and  canon 
laws  of  the  Jews  that  is  extant,  under  the  tide  of  Yad 
Chazaka.  It  is  a  compendium  of  the  Misnah  and 
Talmud,  and  a  collection  of  traditions,  rites,  usages, 
and  customs  of  the  Jews. 

A  Jewish  proselyte  is  a  convert  to  Judaism.  Prose- 
lytes of  the  gate  were  neither  circumcised  by  others, 
nor  did  they  dip  themselves.  Mercenary  proselytes, 
it  is  agreed  on  all  hands,  did  not  dip,  and  it  is  uncertain 
whether  they  were  circumcised.  It  is  the  proselyte  of 
-righteousness,  who  was  accounted  purified  by  dipping 
himself.  The  Jews  were  extremely  cautious  what  per- 
sons they  admitted  under  this  character.  For  this  pur- 
pose candidates  underwent  a  very  strict  examination 
concerning  the  motives  of  their  conduct,  and  the  exam- 
iners utterly  refused  all  ignorant,  mercenary,  or  vicious 
people.  If  they  were  adjudged  sincere,  they  were  tak- 
en into  tuition,  and  were  instructed  in  the  doctrine  of 
the  unity  of  God,  and  all  the  other  articles  of  the  Jew- 
ish religion.  After  this  the  men  were  circumcised,  and 
when  they  were  out  of  danger  both  men  and  women 
dipped  themselves  in  water.  The  ceremony  was  per- 
formed  once  by  the  first  convert  :  but  never  more  than 
once  through  successive  generations  in  the  same  fam- 

(r)  Gill Gale. 

(8)  Jo.  Laur.  Berti  Secies.  Hist.  Breviar.  torn.  ii.  sec.  12. 


46        WHETHER    THE    BAPTISM    OF    JOHN    WERE 

ily.  If  a  Jew  bought  a  Pagan  minor  (9),  or  if  one  were 
taken  in  war,  it  was  determined  by  the  wise  men,  he 
should  dip  himself  as  a  proselyte  of  righteousness.  It 
was  objected,  that  a  minor  could  not  consent ;  but  it 
was  determined  by  the  wise  men,  that  in  this  extraordi- 
nary case,  the  decree  of  the  Rabbies  should  be  held  to 
supply  the  place  of  assent.  Adult  proselytes  received 
instruction,  and  made  a  confession  of  their  assent  dur- 
ing their  washing,  and  afterwards  completed  the  cere- 
mony of  initiation  by  offering  sacrifice.  The  mode  of 
this  purification  was  immersion  in  water.  A  river  was 
preferred  :  but  any  collection  of  clean  water  of  a  depth 
sufficient  for  dipping  would  do.  If  a  bath  were  neces- 
sary, a  square,  with  about  four  feet  and  a  half  depth  of 
water  was  requisite.  The  proselyte  was  not  to  jump  in 
as  if  he  were  bathing  ;  but  he  was  to  walk  in  leisurely. 
A  woman  was  to  be  conducted  by  three  women,  and 
when  notice  was  given  that  she  was  up  to  the  neck  in 
the  water,  the  three  judges  either  withdrawing  or  turn- 
ing their  backs,  she  plunged  herself  once  into  the  water. 
Some  dipped  themselves  naked,  others  in  a  thin  gar- 
ment that  would  admit  the  water  every  where  ;  but 
none  in  any  habit  that  might  prevent  the  water  from 
wetting  all  the  body,  for  if  only  a  small  defluxion  from 
the  eye  ran  between  the  water  and  the  skin,  the  purifi- 
cation was  judged  partial  and  incomplete. 

ii.  The  fact  must  be  ascertained.  A  learned  foreign- 
er (1)  says,  Jewish  baptism  is  a  solemn  rite  instituted 
by  God,  in  which  proselytes  of  both  sexes,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  three  credible  witnesses,  are  dipped  in  water, 
that  being  legally  cleansed  and  regenerated  they  may 
enter  on  the  profession  of  a  new  religion.  This  defini- 
tion affirms  what  is  not  true,  for  neither  was  there  ever 
such  a  rite  as  Jewish  baptism,  nor  can  it  be  pretended 
seriously,  that  proselyte-dipping  was  instituted  by  God. 
If  any  divine  institute  could  be  produced,  if  there  were 
in  the  Jewish  ritual  any  ceremony  similar  to  baptism, 
there  would  be  some  shew  of  reasoning ;  but  in  the 
present  case,  as  affirmation  is  the  whole  argument,  bare 
negation  is  a  sufficient  answer.  There  are  in  the  Old 
Testament  (2)  many  precedents  of  admitting  proselytes 

(9)  Slevogt.  (1)  Reiskius. 

(2)  Josh.  vi.  25. James  ii.  25. Heb.  xi.  31 . Ruth  i.  8cc, 


TAKEN  FROM  ANY  JEWISH  WASHINGS,  &C.        47 

into  the  Jewish  church,  as  Rahab,  Ruth,  and  others  : 
but  not  one  word  is  said  of  their  being  baptized. 
There  are  laws  of  admission  given  by  Moses  (3).  One 
is  this,  "When  a  stranger  will  keep  the  passover  to  the 
Lord,  let  all  his  males  be  circumcised  :  and  then  let  him 
come  near  and  keep  it.  One  law  shall  be  to  him  that  is 
home-born,  and  unto  the  stranger."  Where  now  is  the 
divine  institution  of  either  baptizing  or  washing  a  pros- 
elyte all  over  in  water  ?  One  law  shall  be  to  him  that  is 
home-horn,  and  unto  the  stranger.  That  law  is,  Let  all 
his  males  be  circumcised  ;  and  then  let  him  come  near. 
Dr.  John  Owen  calls  the  opinion,  that  christian  baptism 
came  from  the  Jews,  an  opinion  destitute  of  all  proba- 
bility :  yet  Dr.  Wall  founds  his  main  argument  in  fa- 
vour of  infant- baptism  on  the  practice,  which  the  Jews, 
he  says,  had  of  baptizing  proselytes  to  their  religion. 
The  fact  cannot  be  proved,  and  the  divine  authority  of 
it  is  absolutely  denied. 

iii.  It  must  be  inquired  to  what  practical  uses  the 
subject  can  be  applied.  The  proper  answer  is,  to  none. 
Be  it  observed,  that  a  law  to  dip  is  not  a  law  to  sprin- 
kle :  a  law  for  a  man  to  dip  himself  is  not  an  authority 
for  another  man  to  dip  him  ;  a  law  to  dip  instructed 
proselytes  is  not  a  law  to  baptize  infants  ;  a  law  to  wash 
the  first  convert  of  a  family  is  not  an  authority  to  wash 
all  the  descendants  of  that  convert ;  a  law  to  enjoin  three 
things,  circumcision,  washing,  and  sacrifice,  is  not 
fulfilled  by  a  performance  of  only  one  of  the  three. 
The  best  use,  then,  that  can  be  made  of  a  knowledge 
of  Jewish  baptisms  (as  they  are  improperly  called)  is  to 
pity  the  apostasy  of  the  Jews,  and  to  set  them  an  exam- 
ple of  renouncing  that  fatal  error,  from  which  all  their 
ills  originally  proceeded,  an  implicit  faith  in  guides, 
who  assumed  the  authority  of  God,  who  pretended  to 
regulate  religion  by  their  Bath  Col,  or  daugluer  of  a 
voice,  that  is,  the  traditions  of  enthusiasts,  who  issued 
laws  to  bind  conscience,  and  who,  like  some  Etruscan 
statues,  have  not  one  thing  in  the  world  now  to  recom- 
mend them  to  attention,  except  their  antiquity. 

(3)  Exod.  xii.  48,  49. 


48  WHETHER     BAPTISM     W£RJK 


CHAP.  VI. 

WHETHER    BAPTISM    WEaE    AN    IMITATION     OF    PAfiAN 
ABLUTIONS. 

IT  hath  happened  to  Christianity  as  to  Judaism,  the 
divine  institutes  of  both  have  been  said  to  be  copied 
from  the  rites  of  Pagans  ;  but  this  is  not  credible,  it 
cannot  be  proved  a  fact,  and  it  would  go,  could  it  be  ad- 
mitted, to  cover  Moses  and  John  with  shame  for  prac- 
tising a  fraud  so  gross  as  the  introducing  of  foreign  cus- 
toms, in  the  name,  and  pretendedly  by  the  express  com- 
mand, of  God  himself;  an  insult  on  the  Deity,  which  might 
easily  have  been  detected,  and  of  which  the  characters  of 
the  men  could  not  furnish  even  a  suspicion.  Among 
the  Jews,  who  valued  themselves  upon  their  being  a  select 
people,  a  chosen  generation,  Jehovah's  portion  of  man- 
kind, who  held  all  Pagan  rites  in  deep  abhorrence,  and 
by  a  native  Jew,  who  had  never  travelled,  and  who,  it  is 
credible,  knew  nothing  of  Pagan  rituals,  it  is  extremely 
rash  to  suppose  from  the  mere  connection  of  the  appli- 
cation of  water  to  the  human  body  in  religious  exercises, 
that  such  a  rite  was,  or  could  possibly  be  incorporated 
into  a  revealed  religion  in  Judea. 

There  are  three  opinions,  in  general,  amongiearned  men 
concerning  those  religious  ceremonies,  which  were  com- 
mon among  the  worshippers  of  the  one  living  and  true  God 
and  the  various  professors  of  Polytheism.  It  is  allowed  on 
all  hands,  that  there  is,  and  always  was  an  evident  simi- 
larity of  religious  rites,  and  that  the  temples  of  idols  have 
some  ceremonies  resembling  those  of  the  church  of  God. 
Some  think,  the  founders  of  Pagan  religions  incorpora. 
ted  into  their  superstitious  ceremonials  some  rites  bor- 
rowed from  the  Jews.  Others  suppose  that  Moses 
and  Christ  took  some  Pagan  ceremonies,  proper  in 
themselves,  and  hurtful  only  in  the  hands  of  infidels,  and 
incorporated  them  into  the  service  of  the  true  God. 
Each  of  these  opinions  is  attended  with  great  difficulties, 
and  a  third  is  the  least  objectionable.  This  is,  that  the 
similarity  is  merely  accidental,  or,  to  speak  more  like  a 
Christian,  that  the  rites  of  true  religion  among  the  Jews 
were  positive  institutes  of  God,  and  that  the  practice 
of  similar  rites  among  Pagans  rose  originally  out  of  the 


IMITATION    OF    PAGAN    ABLUTIONS.  49 

exercise  of  common  sense  among  the  first  fathers  of 
mankind  or  out  of  positive  institutes,  which  were  debas- 
ed afterward  by  their  descendants  into  superstition. 

Of  all  rcHgious  ceremonies,  that  of  ablution,  or  wash- 
ing with  water  immediately  before  divine  worship,  is  the 
most  general,  and  the  conformity  the  most  obvious. 
The  Egyptians,  the  Greeks,  the  Romans  and  all  Pagans 
had  divers  washings.  Descended  from  the  same  par- 
ents as  the  Jews,  they  originally  worshipped  one  God, 
the  God  of  Noah,  Job,  Jethro,  and  Melchizedek,  and 
him  they  approached  with  clean  washed  hands,  expres- 
sive of  that  purity  of  heart,  which  was  necessary  to  his 
approbation  of  their  service.  Hence  this  exclamation.  If 
I  he  %mcked,  though  I  wash  myself  e^er  so  clean,  yet  mine 
own  clothes  shall  abhor  me  (1).  In  like  manner  Homer 
(2)  represents  Hector  as  afraid  to  offer  a  libation  to  Jove 
before  he  had  washed  his  hands.  He  makes  Telema- 
chu6  wash  his  hands,  and  Penelope  her  clothes,  before 
they  prayed  to  God  (3).  Virgil  describes  iEneas  as 
afraid  to  touch  sacred  things  till  he  had  washed  himself 
in  running  water  (4).  There  is  no  need  to  suppose 
either  that  the  Jews  imitated  the  Pagans,  or  that  the 
Pagans  imitated  the  Jews.  It  was  natural  to  consider 
God  as  a  pure  and  holy  being,  and  it  was  natural  for  a 
conqueror  to  wash  off  the  blood  of  enemies  from  his 
hands  after  a  battle,  before  he  approached  God  to  praise 
him  for  victory. 

.  In  after  times  when  superstition  had  multiplied  gods 
or  demons,  so  that  in  Greece  only  there  were  thirty  thou- 
sand (5),  it  became  necessary  to  divide  and  class  them, 
and  regulate  their  rituals  according  to  their  rank. 
Some  were  celestial,  others  terrestrial  and  infernal ;  some 
were  aerial,  others  aquatick,  and  they  were  treated  with 
different  degrees  of  respect  (6),  When  the  superior 
gods  were  approached,  the  worshippers  washed  them- 
selves all  over,  or,  if  that  could  not  be,  they  washed 
their  hands.  When  sacred  rites  were  performed  to  the 
inferior  deities,  a  sprinkling  sufficed  (7).  None  were 
approached  without  sprinkling  or  washing  the  hands, 

(1)  Jobix.29.  (2)  llomevl  Iliad.        <3)  Komtvi  in  Odyss. 

(4)  VLrgll  Mneid.  Lib.  ii.  719, 

(5)  Hesiod  op.  et  dier.  Lib.  i.  250-  (6)  Orph.   ad  Musxum. 

(7)  Virgil  JEn,  ii.  719.  Donee  me  flumine  vivo  abluero-  -  -  -corpus  pargit 
aqua.  vi.  636. 


50  WHETHER    BAPTISM    WERE,    &C. 

the  head,  or  the  whole  body.  For  these  purposes  a 
vessel  of  clean  fountain  or  river  water  was  placed  at  the 
entrance  of  Pagan  temples.  A  priest  in  waiting  sprink- 
led those  vAho  went  to  worship  three  times  with 
boughs  (8)  of  laurel  or  olive  dipped  in  water,  and  a 
written  order  was  affixed  in  ihe  porch  that  no  man 
should  proceed  further  without  washing  (9). 

The  heathens,  not  content  with  this  simple  expressive 
rite,  multiplied  religious  ablutions  to  excess.  The 
Egyptian  priests  washed  themselves  four  times  in  the 
twenty-four  hours  (l).  Other  nations  went  into  great- 
er extremes,  they  washed  and  sprinkled  not  men  only, 
but  all  utensils  of  worship,  sometimes  their  fields,  often 
their  houses,  and  annually  their  gods  (2).  The 
Romans  had  a  general  lustrum  every  five  years,  when 
the  censor  sacrificed  a  sow,  a  sheep,  and  a  bull,  and 
lustratcd  or  sprinkled  all  the  Roman  people  (3).  There 
are  pictures  of  lustration  on  monuments  yet  in  being  (4). 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  all  the  heathens  believed 
polytheism.  The  wisest  of  them  held  the  popular 
religion  in  contempt,  and  exactly  resembled  some  mod- 
ern deists  in  the  church  of  Rome.  They  had  a  private 
faith  for  their  own  use,  and  a  public  profession  for 
popular  purposes.  Their  own  good  sense  disabused 
themselves  :  but  they  thought  it  hazardous  to  unde- 
ceive the  common  people,  who,  they  supposed,  had  not 
sense  enough  to  make  a  proper  use  of  such  intelligence 
as  they  could  have  given  them.  Hence  came,  most 
likely,  the  mysteries  of  Isis,  the  same  as  Ceres,  Cybele, 
or  the  mother  of  the  gods  ;  those  of  Mithra,  the  same 
as  Apollo,  the  sun,  or  fire;  and  those  of  Eleusis.  The 
priests  initiated  only  wise  men  into  these  mysteries,  in 
which  probably  they  were  taught  that  the  popular  deities 
were  nothing  but  symbols  of  the  perfections  and  works 
of  one  almighty  God  (5).  This  was  a  very  criminal 
disposition.  It  left  them  ivithout  excuse^  because^  "johen 
they  kne%v  God,  they  glorified  him  7iot  as  God.  "Qy  profess- 
ing themsehes  %me,  they  discovered  themselves  y£>o/^. 

(8)  Plin.  Nat.  Hist.  v.  30 Sozom.  Mist.  Eccl.  vi.  6. ^neid.  vi. 

229.  Ovid.  Metam.  vii.  2. 

(9)  Potter's  Greek  Antiquities.  (1)  Herodotus  ii.  37. 

(2)  Ovid.  Fast.  iv. Lucan.  Pharsal.  i. Tertul.-De  Bapt.  cap.  v. 

(3)  Varro  Be  Re  Rust.  Lib.  ii.  c.  1 Tacit,  Lib.  iv Dion.  Halic Liv. 

(4)  Ezcch.      Spanheim.    De   Prxst.   Numism.  to7n.  ii.   edit.  Verbeirgii. 
Amstel.  1717.  (5)  Pluche  Hist,  of  the  Heai-eiis.  Vol.  i.  c.ii.  s.  45, 


OF    THE    INSTITUTION    OF,    &G.  51 

Many  ceremonies  were  used  to  initiate  people  into 
these  mysteries,  and  ablution  was  one.  It  was  an  odd 
conceit  of  Justin  Martyr,  in  which,  however,  he  was 
followed  by  Tertullian,  and  other  fathers,  that  the  dev- 
il inspired  the  heathens  to  mimick,  in  these  ab- 
lutions, the  baptism  practised  in  the  christian  church 
(6).  It  would  be  in  vain  to  object,  that  the  ablutions 
used  by  the  Pagans  to  initiate  persons  into  their  mysteries 
were  far  more  ancient  than  the  institution  of  baptism 
itself:  for  these  fathers  inform  their  readers  that  the 
prophet  Isaiah  had  foretold  his  ivaters  shall  be  sure,  and 
bread  shall  be  giveii  him  ;  that  the  devil  understood  the 
prophet  to  foretel,  in  these  words,  the  institution  of  bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  supper  ;  and  that  he  set  up  his  ab- 
lutions in  order  to  be  forehand  with  Christ,  and  so  to 
discredit  his  ordinances  when  he  should  appoint  them. 
Satan  thus  prepared  Paganism  to  say  to  Christianity, 
Have  you  ceremonies  ?  So  have  I.  Do  you  baptize  ^ 
So  do  I.     The  devil  of  the  fathers  was  an  arch  droll  ! 

It  is  a  just,  and,  it  may  be  hoped,  not  an  unseasonable 
moral  reflection,  that  Pagan  ablution  was  a  sort  of 
publick  homage,  which  natural  religion  paid  to  the 
purity  and  perfection  of  God,  and  an  universal 
acknowledgement  of  the  indispensable  necessity  of  vir- 
tue in  man,  in  order  to  his  enjoyment  of  the  first  great 
Cause. 


CHAP.  vn. 

OF   THE    INSTITUTION    OF    BAPTISM     BY    JESUS    CHRIST. 

JESUS  CHRIST  before  his  death  promised  his 
apostles,. that  after  his  resurrection  he  would  meet  them 
on  a  mountain  in  Galilee  (1).  Immediately  after  his 
resurrection,  the  angel,  who  informed  the  women  at  the 
sepulchre  that  he  was  risen,  directed  them  to  go  quickly 
and  tell  his  disciples  that  he  was  risen  from  the  dead, 
and  that  he  was  going  before  them  into  Galilee,  and 
there  they  should  see  him  (2).     As  they  were  going  to 

(6)  Justin.  Apol. adv.  Tryph. Tertul.    De  coron.  mil.  cap.  xv.  Z>« 

prescript,  adv.  Hxr.  cap.  xl-  -  -  -De  Bapt.  cap.  v.  -  -  -  vid  etiam  not.  PamcliL 
--  -Anton.  Franc.  Gorii.  Museum  Etrus.  torn.  i.  Florent.  17.37. 

(1)  Matt.  xxvi.  32. Mjirk  xiv.  2Q.  CI)  Matt,  xxviii.  7—10. 


52  OF    THE    INSTITUTION    OF 

deliver  the  message,  Jesus  himself  met  them,  and  re- 
peated the  order,  go  tell  my  brethren^  that  they  go  into 
Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  me.  In  the  forty  days 
between  his  resurrection  and  ascension  he  had  many 
interviews  with  his  disciples,  in  which  he  instructed 
them  in  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Baptism  was  one  of  these  things,  and  of  this  he  chose 
to  speak  in  the  most  public  manner  on  the  mountain  in 
Galilee  to  above  Jiiie  hundred  brethren  at  once.  It  is 
not  very  material  to  determine  whether  this  were  the 
third,  the  eighth,  or  the  last  appearance  of  Christ  to  his 
disciples,  in  which  he  shewed  himself  aVme  after  his  pas- 
sion by  many  infallible  proofs^  and  spoke  to  them  of  the 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God  {i). 

To  the  assembly  on  the  mountain,  Jesus  came,  and 
spake  unto  them,  saying,  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaiien  and  in  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  na- 
tions, baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  teaching  them  to  ob- 
serve all  things  %vhatsoever  I  have  commanded  you  :  and 
lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world 
(4).  It  is  a  glorious  example  of  that  benevolence  with 
which  Jesus  used  the  vast  powers  committed  to  his 
trust. 

The  authenticity  of  this  passage  is  allowed  by  all 
Christians,  but  they  differ  very  much  in  expounding  it ; 
and  three  classes  of  expositors  deserve  attention  ;  the 
first  enlarge,  the  second  diminish,  the  third  supersede 
the  meaning  of  the  passage. 

Without  entering  into  verbal  criticisms,  upon  which 
the  christian  religion  doth  not  stand,  for  it  is  support- 
ed by  facts  true  and  demonstrative,  and  not  by  hypo- 
thetical reasonings  confined  only  to  a  few  learned  men, 
it  is  observable,  that  one  class  of  expositors  so  expound 
the  text  as  to  give  it  a  much  wider  extent  than  Jesus 
intended,  for  they  make  it  an  authority  from  him  to 
baptize  infants,  though  they  are  not  mentioned,  and 
though  there  is  not  in  the  whole  New  Testament  either 
precept  or  precedent  for  the  practice.  The  order  runs, 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them.  The  thing  speaks  for 
itself,  die  style  is  popular,  the  sense  plain,  and  it  must 

(3)  Acts  i.  3.  (4)  Malt,  sxvili.  18,  &c. 


BAPTISM    EY    JESUS   CHRIST.  So 

mean  either  baptize  whole  nations,  or  such  of  all  na- 
tions as  receive  your  instructions,  and  desire  to  be  bap- 
tized. The  first  is  too  gross  to  be  admitted,  because  it 
cannot  be  effected  without  force,  and  the  grossness  of 
the  one  instantly  turns  the  mind  to  the  other,  the  plain 
and  true  sense.  In  the  principles  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  there  is  neither  fraud  nor  force,  nor  is  it  suitable 
to  the  dignity  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  take  one  man  by 
conviction,   and  his  ten  children  by  surprise. 

The  practice  of  the  apostles,  who  understood  the 
words,  no  doubt,  is  the  best  exposition  of  the  language. 
Did  they  baptize  any  whole  nation,  or  city,  or  village  ? 
yet  they  described  the  baptism  of  individuals  in  a  style 
similar  to  that  of  the  words  in  question.  The  following 
is  an  example.  Philip  ivent  doivn  to  the  city  of  Sama- 
ria^ and  preached  Christ  unto  them,  and  such  as  belie'oed 
Philip,  preaching  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized,  both 
men  and  women  (5).  The  history  of  this  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Luke.  The  apostles  which  were  at  Jerusa- 
lem heard  that  Samaria  had  recei'oed  the  word  of  God^ 
not  the  whole  country  called  Samaria,  not  the  whole 
city  of  the  same  name,  not  Simon  and  his  adherents, 
inhabitants  of  the  city,  but  such  only  as  believed  Phil- 
ip, had  received  the  word  of  God,  and  were  baptized. 

The  same  Philip  baptized  the  eunuch,  but  not  his 
servants  ;  for  Christianity  is  a  personal,  not  a  family,  or 
national  affair  (6).  Some  families  were  baptized,  but  it 
was  only  when  each  person  of  each  family  was  a  believ- 
er, and  not  always  then.  Crispus(7),  the  chief  ruler  of 
the  synagogue  at  Corinth,  belie'ued  on  the  Lord'with  all 
his  house,  yet  Paul  baptized  none  but  Crispus  ;  for  there 
might  be  very  good  reasons  for  the  other  believers  in 
his  family  to  defer  their  baptism  (8).  The  Jailer  at 
Philippi  belienied  in  God  with  all  his  house,  therefore  lie 
was  baptized,  and  all  his  straightway  (9).  The  house- 
hold of  Lydia  were  brethren  who  were  conforted  by  the 
apostles  (i).  The  family  of  Stephanas  of  Corinth, 
which  Paul  baptized,  were  X\iq  frst  fruits  of  Achaia,  and 

(5)   Acts  vlli.  5 14.  (6)  Ibid. ver.  30. 

(7)  Acts  xviii.  8.  (8)  1  Cor.  i.  14. 

(9)  Acts  xvi.  31—33  (I)  Acts  xvi.  15,  40. 


54  or    THE    INSTITUTION    OF 

addicted  themsehcs  to  the  ministry  of  the  saints^  that  is, 
to  assist  the  deacons  in  relieving  the  poor  (2). 

Tlie  second  class  so  understand  the  traiasaction  as  to 
narrow  the  subject.  To  them  it  seems  that  Jesus  ad- 
dressed himself  only  to  the  aposdes,  and  thence  they 
argue,  that  none  but  apostles  and  apostolical  men,  their 
successors,  have  any  right  to  administer  baptism.  This 
exposition  is  clogged  with  insuperable  diHiculties,  and 
it  is  asked,  is  it  a  true  fact  that  during  the  lives  of  the 
apostles  none  but  they  baptized  ?  In  the  case  just  men- 
tioned, Philip  the  deacon  baptized  the  Samaritans,  and 
Peter  and  John  only  went  down  to  confer  the  extraordi- 
nary gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (3).  There  was  no  apostle 
at  Damascus  when  Paul  was  baptized,  and  a  certain  dis- 
ciple at  Damascus  named  Ananias  baptized  him  (4),  or, 
as  he  expresses  it,  buried  him  by  baptism  into  death. 
While  Paul  was  at  Corinth  many  of  the  Corinthians  hear- 
ings believing,  and  were  baptized,  but  he  baptized  none  of 
them  except  Crispiis  and  Gains,  and  the  family  of  Stepha- 
nas. Aquila,  who  was  a  resident,  and  Silas  and  Timothy, 
who  were  travellers,  most  likely  baptized  the  rest  (5). 
When  Peter  went  to  open  the  kingdom  of  heaven  at 
Ceesarea  to  proselyted  Gentiles,  he  did  not  baptize  them 
himself,  but  lie  commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  which  was  done  it  should  seem  by 
Jews  of  Joppa  who  accompanied  him,  and  who  are  called 
brethren  of  the  circumcision  who  beiicoed  {6).  Of  this,  as 
of  the  former  case,  the  description  is  in  general  terms  : 
the  apostles  and  brethren  that  were  in  Judea  heard  that  the 
GeJitiles  had  also  receii^ed  the  word  of  God,  though  only 
a  few  proselytes  of  one  city  had  received  it  (7). 

It  is  inquired  further,  who  are  the  successors  of  the 
apostles  ?  Is  it  true  that  Jesus  instituted  a  priesthood, 
or  any  order  of  men  to  succeed  the  apostles?  After  the 
defeat  of  that  numerous,  learned,  and  wealthy  church, 
called  catholick,  further  attempts  to  prove  what  they 
have  contended  for  are  extremely  rash  and  entirely  hope- 
less, and  go  on  a  principle  wholly  disallowed  in  pure 
Christianity,  the  necessity  of  a  standing  priesthood. 
The  apostle  Paul  gave  a  rule  to  the  Corinthians  applica- 
ble to  baptizing  as  well  as  to  teaching.     Ye  may  all proph- 

(2)  1  Cor.  i.  16.  xvl.  15.  (3)  Acts  vlii.  15. 

(4)  Acts  ix.  18 Rom.  vi.  4.      (5)  Acts  xviii.  2,  &c. 

(6)  Acts  X.  5—23.  (>)  Acts  xi.  1. 


BAPTISM    BY    JESUS    CHRIST.  55 

esy  one  by  one^  that  all  may  learn  and  all  may  he  comforted^ 
and  the  right  of  every  Christian  to  enlarge  tlie  kingdom 
of  Christ  by  teaching  and  baptizing  others,  is  perfectly 
in  unison  with  the  whole  spirit  and  temper  of  Christiani- 
ty. The  conduct  of  Jesus  was  uniform,  he  first  called 
twelve,  afterwards  seventy,  and,  when  he  extended  his 
commission  to  the  whole  world,  he  appointed  above 
five  hundred,  and  in  them  all  Christians  to  the  end  of  the 
world  ;  nor  is  it  imaginable  that  he  uttered  any  prohibi- 
tion against  such  as  should  increase  his  holy  empire  by 
instruction  and  baptism  ;  for  baptism  is  not  an  initiation 
into  any  particular  society,  which  may  have  possessions, 
and  in  a  participation  of  which  justice  requires  the  con- 
sent of  the  owners,  but  it  is  simply  an  admission  to  a 
profession  of  Christianity,  to  which  wisely  no  temporal 
advantages  of  any  kind  ever  were  annexed  by  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  third  class  so  expound  the  words  as  to  supersede 
the  institution.  They  affirm  that  the  words  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  should  be  rendered  to  the  end  of  the  <^^e,  which 
is  either  the  age  of  the  Jewish  polity,  and  so  the  period 
expired  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  the  age  of  the 
apostles,  and  so  it  expired  with  the  last  aposde.  Baptism 
therefore  was  only  a  temporary  institute,  and  it  ought  not 
to  be  administered  to  all  Christians  now.  To  such  Pa- 
gans as  embrace  Christianity  it  may  be  proper,  but  to  the 
children  of  Christians  it  is  not  so. 
-  It  is  said  on  the  contrary.  There  is  no  mention  of 
any  such  cessation  in  any  part  of  the  NewTestament,  and 
to  be  wise  above  what  is  written  is  a  most  dangerous  pre- 
cedent, it  would  go  further  than  is  intended.  -  -  -  -There 
is  nothing  in  baptism  injurious  to  piety  and  virtue,  or  in- 
consistent   with   any  improvement  which  a  good  man 

ought  to  promote The  abolition  of  baptism  is  not  in 

agteement  with  the  perfection  of  the  economy,  which  be- 
ing finished  admits  of  no  emendation.  Heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  aivayy  but  my  ivord  shall  not  pass  aijjay.  Abide 
in  me.  If  my  words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  be  my  disci- 
ples  There  w^as  no  connection  between  the  lives  of 

the   apostles  and  baptism,   for  during  their  lives  they 

were  not  the  only  administrators  of  it There  was 

no  more  connection  between  baptism  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  than  between  baptism  and  the  de- 


56  OF    THE    INSTITUTION    OF 

struction  of  any  other  city. The  notion  leaves  the 

most  obedient  Christians  in  a  difficult  case  without  a 
guide,  by  not  fixing  a  precise  time  for  leaving  off  to 

baptize. It  is  most  natural  to  suppose,  Jesus  dated 

by  his  own  economy,  and  appointed  baptism  to  con- 
tinue to  the  etui  of  the  age,  that  is,  the  end  of  the  christian 
economy,  the  new  age,  in  distinction  from  the  Mosa- 

ical   state   of  things. Christians  of  early    ages   did 

not  understand  that  baptism  was  to  be  laid  aside,  for 
all  parties  continued  to  baptize  beyond  every  period  to 

which   the  words  have  been  supposed  to  refer 

Christians  are  exhorted  to  hold  Jast  their  profession  of 

faith,  haloing  their  bodies  "vjashed  %vith  pure  water 

It  is  allowed  t/ie  end  of  the  age  does  sometimes  signify 
the  end  of  the  ivorld,  and  some  substantial  reasons 
should  be  given  why  it  does  not  stand  for  the  end  of 
the  world  here.  This  notion  is  chiefly  founded  on  the 
supposition,  that  christian  baptism  was  a  continuation 
of  a  Jewish  ceremony,  proselyte- baptism,  which  is  not 
a  true  fact. 

The  words  of  Christ  are  not  properly  a  law  given  to 
all  Christians,  but  a  direction  to  the  Christians  then 
present,  and  applicable  to  future  ages,  as  a  precedent. 
Jesus  had  foretold  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  that  the 
Jews  should  be  led  away  captiiie  into  all  nations^  that  his 
disciples  should  be  hated  of  all  nations^  and  that  the  gos- 
pel should  be  published  among  all  nations^  but  he  had  not 
informed  his  disciples  that  they  were  to  baptize  all 
nations,  and  incorporate  Gentiles  with  Jews  into  one 
body.  Now  he  advises  them  to  submit  patiently  to 
the  wise  providence  of  God,  and  to  improve  the  event 
of  their  dispersion  to  the  benevolent  purposes  of 
instructing  all  mankind,  and  participating  with  them- 
selves in  the  general  benefits  of  the  Christian  religion. 
The  event  discovered  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the 
charge,  and  the  example  is  worthy  of  imitation  by  all 
Christians  of  all  ages,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

In  addition  to  the  arguments  from  scripture,  which 
each  party  hath  advanced  against  the  other,  to  confirm 
their  own  sense  of  the  words  of  Christ,  teach  all  nations, 
baptizing  them,  and  the  rest,  many  reasons  have  been 
taken  from  other  topicks,  as  history,    the  interests  of 


,        BAPTISM    BY    JESUS    CHRIST.  57 

piety,  virtue,  social  iiappiness,  and  so  on,  and  some  of 
them  of  great  weight. 

Those  who  practise  infant  baptism  have  been 
requested  "to  consider  whether  the  baptism  of  babes 
have  not  effected  a  revolution  greatly  in  disfavour  of  the 
evidences  of  Christianity  by  exhibiting  whole  nations 
of  Christians,  who  were  all  forced  to  profess  the  religion 
of  Jesus  without  their  knowledge  or  consent.  Is  it, 
they  ask,  because  Christianity  will  not  bear  examination, 
or  have  the  children  of  Christians  less  right  to  judge 
for  themselves  than  the  first  converts  had  ?  In  the  days 
of  the  apostles,  it  was  argument  to  tell,  multitudes  ijjcre 
added  both  of  men  and  ivomen  (8).  The  word  of  God 
increased^  and  the  number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  in 
Jerusalem^  and  a  great  company  of  the  priests  were  obedi- 
ent to  the  faith  (9).  The  same  day  there  were  added 
unto  them  about  three  thousand  soids .(\).  This  is  no 
argument  now.  Further,  it  is  inquired,  whether  the 
turning  of  whole  nations  into  christian  churches,  so 
that  there  is  no  world,  but  all  is  church,  have  not 
deprived  Christianity  of  that  noble  argument  which 
the  purity  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  afforded.  The 
few  upright  lose  the  evidence  of  their  shining  as  lights 
in  the  world  m  the  vast  multitude  of  wicked  characters, 
among  whom  they  are  obscured,  confounded,  and  lost. 
Of  what  national  church  can  it  be  said  the  people  are 
hofyy  harmless^  undefiled^  and  separate  from  sinners  ? 
What  nation,  if  they  observe  the  direction  of  apostolical 
episdes,  durst  claim  a  letter  directed  to  them  that  are 
sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints  (.:)  ?  To 
Such  a  change,  say  they,  it  is  owing  that  intidehty 
abounds  ;  and  a  Christianity  of  this  kind  admits  of  no 
defence. 

Such  as  confine  the  administration  of  baptism  to  men 
in  orders,  have  been  requested  to  advert  to  the  history 
of  priesthood,  and  to  reconcile,  if  it  be  possible,  the 
effects  produced  by  it  to  the  spirit  and  temper,  the 
doctrine  and  conduct,  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
freedom  and  peace  of  mankind,  the  maxims  of  good 
civil  government,  the  prosperity  of  commerce,  and 
many  other  articles  remotely  or  immediately  affected 
8 

(8)  Acts   V.  14,        (9)  lb,  VI.  7.        (1)  lb.  ii.  41.        <:2^  1  Cor.  I.  3. 


58  Of    THE    INSTITUTION    OF    BAPTISM. 

by  the  dominion  necessarily  connected  with  every  kind 
of  priesthood. 

To  those  who  set  aside  baptism,  it  hath  been  asked. 
What  is  there  in  the  inoffensive  ordinance  of  baptism 
that  should  tempt  a  wise  and  good  man  to  lay  it  aside  ? 
What  line  of  separation  do  you  leave  between  the  world 
and  the  church  ?  Why  deprive  Christians  of  the  honour 
and  pleasure  of  confessing  Christ  ?   Why  take  away  the 
powerful  motives  to  holineS"s,    which  are  taken  from  a 
voluntary  putting  on  Christ  by  baptism  ?    If  it  could  be 
proved  that  a  few  Greek  Christians  wholly  disused  water- 
baptism,  which  by  the  way  is  not  granted,  what  is  this  to  a 
modern  Christian  ?  Is  it  history  ?'Let  it  pass.     Is  it  urg- 
ed as  argument  ?  On  the  same  principle,  it  may  be  also 
argued,    that   the   established   church   of  Greece  used 
trine   immersion,  and  the  single  church  of  Antioch,  on- 
ly one  city  of  many,    consisted  of  one  hundred  thousand 
souls,  half  the  number  of  inhabitants  (3),     The  Greek 
dissenters  all  baptized,  and  particularly  the  Eunomians, 
who  denied  the  Trinity,   and  rejected   the   baptism  of 
trine  immersion  of  the  established  church,  administered 
baptism   by   single   immersion  (4)   either  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  or  in  the  death  of  Christ ;  supposing  either 
that   Peter  had  altered  the  form  of  words  (5),  or  that 
Paul  described    the   form    of  administration    when    he 
said,  Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized  into 
Jesus  Christ  ivere  baptized  into  his  death  (6)  ?  If  num- 
bers  be  argument,  the   yeas  have  it  ;  but   where   the 
authority   of  scripture   cannot   be  quoted,    and   where 
no  substantial  reasons  from  the  fitness  of  things  can  be 
urged,  and  where  history  cannot  help,  it  seems  at  least 
hazardous  to  lay  aside  a  practice,   which  the  Lord  Jesus 
himself  honoured  by  his  own  example,  and  which  it 
seems  he  left  to  his  disciples  to  enable  them  to  follow 
his  steps.      There  can   be  no  danger  in  following  his 
hteps  in  an  imitable  case,  as  baptism  is  allowed  to  be, 

(o)  Chrysost.  vita. 

(4)  Concil.  Constantinop.  i.  Can.  vii,      Evuf^iuuvg  fiiv  t«,  ret/;  «f  fCiuv 

(5)  ^.gidii  Carlerii  Orat.  in  Concil.  Basil,  habit.  Petrus  Apostolus 
loruiam  baptismi  a  Christo  traditam  mutabit  in  istam.  Ego  te  baptize  in 
nomine  domirn  nostri  Jesu  Cbristi,  &c.  . 

(6)  Basilii  Op.  Tom.  Vi.  de  Spiritu  Sancto.  cap.  xii.  ' Adversus  eos  qui 
discuntsufficere  baptisma  tantum  in  noinine  Domini. 

Biiiii  natx  in  canen.    Jpett.  Can.  xlix. 


OF    APOSTOLICAL    BAPTISM.  59 

and  there  is  no  likelihood  of  placing  Christianity  in  a 
better  state  than  that  in  which  he  himself  placed  it. 
True  the  baptism  of  immersion  is  in  modern  times,  in 
some  churches,  fallen  into  neglect  and  contempt ;  but  if 
that  be  a  motive  for  disowning  it,  let  such  Christians  be 
thankful  they  did  not  live  in  the  days  of  Jesus  himself, 
who  was  more  despised  by  Jews  than  any  of  his  insti- 
tutes ever  were  by  Christians. 


CEIAP.  VIII. 

OP   APOSTOLICAL    BAPTISM. 

THE  state  of  baptism  during  the  lives  of  the  apos- 
tles is  to  be  gathered  from  the  book  of  Acts  written  by 
Luke,  the  first  ecclesiastical  historian.  It  extends  from 
the  ascension  of  Christ  to  the  residence  of  Paul  at 
Rome,  a  space  of  more  than  thirty  years.  The  book 
is  full  of  information,  and  in  regard  to  baptism,  it  in- 
forms by  what  it  does  not  say,  as  well  as  by  what  is  re- 
ported. For  example.  The  historian  relates  the 
baptism  of  many  proselytes,  as  Cornelius,  the  Ethi- 
opian eunuch,  and  others,  on  their  profession  of 
Christianity  ;  of  course  the  administrators  did  not 
know  of  such  a  custom  as  proselyte-baptism,  or  they 
did  not  understand  proselyte- wasliing  to  be  baptism, 
or  they  practised  anabaptism,  which  is  not  credible. 

There  are  frequent  narrations  of  the  baptism  of  be- 
lievers, but  not  one  infant  appears  in  the  whole  his- 
tory ;  yet,  no  doubt,  some  Christians  had  married,  and 
had  young  families  within  the  thirty  year's  between 
the  ascension  of  Jesus  and  the  settlement  of  Paul  at 
Rome. 

There  is  no  mention  of  any  of  the  ceremonies  which 
modern  Christians  have  affixed  to  baptism  :  no  conse- 
cration  of  water,  no  sprinkling,  no  use  of  oils  and  un- 
guents, no  sponsors,  no  kneeling  in  the  water,  no  trine 
immersion,  no  catechumen-state,  no  giving  a  name, 
no  renunciation  of  any  demon,  none  of  the  innumera- 
ble additions,  which,  ur.der  pretence  of  adorning,  have 
obscured  the  glory  of  this  heavenly  institute.  It  be- 
longs to  those  who  practise  such  additions  to  say  how 
they  came  by  them,  and  under  what  master  tliey  serve. 


60  OF    EASTERN    BATHS. 

It  is  observable,  there  is  no  mention  of  baptizing 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Peter  exhorted  die  Jews  of  Jerusalem  to  repent^ 
and  be  baptized  ei^ery  one  of  them  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Philip  baptized  the  Samaritans  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Peter  commanded  believers  at  Csesa- 
rea  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Many- 
Christians  taking  it  for  granted,  that  the  aposdes  thor- 
oughly understood  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
supposing  the  form  of  words  of  local  and  temporary 
use,  administer  baptism  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and 
think  themselves  justified  by  the  book  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles. 


CHAP.  IX. 

OF    EASTERN    BATHS. 

IN  this  country,  bathing  is  not  considered,  except  by 
a  few  individuals,  as  an  enjoyment,  and  many  think  of  it 
with  reluctance;  but  in  the  East  it  is  far  otherwise,  and 
is  to  be  numbered  among  the  conveniences,  if  not  the 
necessaries  of  life.  Established  customs  derived  orig- 
inally from  nature  are  seldom  changed,  they  continue 
the  same,  or  nearly  the  same,  in  all  ages  in  the  same 
countries  ;  for  they  lise  out  of  the  climate  of  the  country, 
and  the  condition  of  the  natives.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  East  from  the  most  remote  antiquity  to  this  day, 
liave  been  naturally  impelled,  from  the  warmth  of 
the  climate,  to  consider  bathing  as  one  of  the  highest 
enjoyments  of  life,  and  their  water-works  for  this  as 
well  as  for  other  uses  are  magnificent  and  innumerable. 
It  is  difficult  to  compress  a  subject  so  voluminous  into 
a  narrow  compass,  and  to  leave  unapplauded  those 
grand  reservoirs,  those  expensive  aqueducts,  those  ex- 
tended and  incomparable  canals,  those  ingenious  de- 
vices for  raising  and  distributing  water  into  baths,  those 
distinguished  honours  which  have  been  bestowed  on 
the  immortal  architects,  and  those  innumerable  benefits 
which  the  inhabitants  derive  Irom  them,  and  which 
make  so  conspicuous  a  figure  in  all  good  histories  of 
the  East.     A  general  idea,  however,  is  necessary  to  the 


OF    EASTERN    BATHS.  61 

present  design  ;  and  omitting  the  great  and  national  (l) 
works  of  this  kind,  a  small  miniature  picture  of  a  do- 
mestic enjoyment  of  water  shall  be  taken  from  a  late 
celebrated   lady  (2).     These  are  her  words  : 

"Abroad  the  common  people  enjoy  themselves  (3). 
For  some  miles  round  Adrianople  the  whole  ground  is 
laid  out  in  gardens  (4),  and  the  banks  of  the  rivers  are 
set  with  rows  of  fruit  trees,  under  which  all  the  most 
considerable  of  the  Turks  divert  themselves  every  even- 
ing, not  with  walking,  that  is  not  one  of  their  pleasures  ; 
but  a  set  party  of  them  choose  out  a  green  spot,  where 
the  shade  is  very  thick,  and  there  they  spread  a  carpet, 
on  which  they  sit  drinking  their  coftee,  and  are  gener- 
ally attended  with  some  slave  with  a  fine  voice,  or  that 
plays  on  some  instrument.  Every  twenty  paces  you 
may  see  one  of  these  little  companies,  listening  to  the 
dashing  of  the  river  ;  and  this  taste  is  so  universal,  that 
the  very  gardeners  are  not  without  it.  I  have  often 
seen  them  and  their  children  sitting  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  and  playing  on  a  rural  instrument  perfectly 
answering  the  description  of  the  ancient  fistula,  being 
composed  of  unequal  reeds,  with  a  simple  but  agree- 
able  softness  in  the  sound. 

"In  their  gardens  water  is  an  essential  part  of  ele- 
gance. In  the  midst  of  the  garden  is  a  chiosk,  that 
is  a  large  room,  commonly  beautified  with  a  fine  foun- 
tain in  the  midst  of  it.  It  is  raised  nine  or  ten  steps,  and 
enclosed  with  gilded  lattices,  round  which,  vines,  jes- 
samines, and  honey-suckles  make  a  sort  of  green  wall ; 
large  trees  are  planted  round  this  place,  which  is  the 
scene  of  their  greatest  pleasures,  and  where  'the  ladies 
spend  most  of  their  hours,  employed  by  their  musick 
or  embroidery.  In  the  publick  gardens  there  are  pub- 
lick  chiosks,  where  people  go  that  are  not  so  well  accom- 
modated at  home,  and  drink  their  coffee  and  sherbet. 

"  In  private  rooms  water  is  a  part  of  the  innocent 
luxuriance  of  eastern  embellishment  (5).  The  rooms 
are  low,  which  I  think  no  fault,  and  the  ceiling  is  al- 
w^ays  of  wood,  generally  inlaid  or  painted  with  flowers. 
They   open  in   many   places   with  folding   doors,  and 

(1)  Gr3evii  Thesaur.  De  AquceJuct Balneis Thennis,  ijfc. Po- 

COC^Q'a  Description  of  the  East.    Aqueducts. 

(2)  Right  Hon.  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague's  Letters. 

(3)  Vol.  i.  Let.  XXX.       (4)  Vol.  i.  Let.  xxxii.        (5)  Vol.ii.  Let.  xliii. 


62  OF    EASTERN     BATHS. 

serve  for  cabinets,  I  think  more  conveniently  than  ours. 
Between  the  windows  are  little  arches  to  set  pots  ol  per- 
fume, or  baskets  of  flowers.  But  what  pleases  me  best 
is  the  fl\shi«jn  of  having-  marble  fountains  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  room,  which  throw  up  several  spouts  of 
water,  giving  at  the  same  time  an  agreeable  coolness, 
a  pleasant  dashing  sound,  falling  from  one  bason  to 
another.  Some  of  these  are  very  magnificent.  Each 
house  has  a  bagnio,  which  consists  generally  in  two  or 
three  little  rooms  leaded  on  the  top,  paved  with  marble, 
with  basons,  cocks  of  water,  and  all  conveniences  for 
either  hot  or  cold  bathing." 

One  of  those  private  bagnios  is  described  by  her 
ladyship  (6).  "  No  part  of  the  palace  of  the  Grand 
Vizir  pleased  me  better  than  the  apartments  destined 
for  the  bagnios.  There  are  two  built  exactl}?  in  the 
same  manner,  answering  to  one  another  ;  the  baths, 
fountains  and  pavements  all  of  white  marble,  the  roofs 
gilt,  and  the  walls  covered  with  Japan  china.  Adjoin- 
ing to  them  are  two  rooms,  the  uppermost  of  which  is 
divided  into  a  sofa ;  and  in  the  four  corners  are  falls  of 
water  from  the  very  roof,  from  shell  to  shell,  of  white 
marble,  to  the  lower  end  of  the  room,  where  it  falls 
into  a  large  bason,  surrounded  with  pipes  that  throw 
up  the  water  as  high  as  the  rooms.  The  walls  are  in 
the  nature  of  lattices,  and  on  the  outside  of  them  there 
are  vines  and  woodbines  planted,  that  form  a  kind 
of  green  tapestry,  and  give  an  agreeable  obscurity  to 
these  delightful  chambers." 

A  pubiick  bagnio  is  described  thus  (7)  :  "  I  went  to 
the  bagnio  about  ten  o'clock.  It  was  already  full  of 
women.  It  is  built  of  stone,  in  the  shape  of  a  dome, 
with  no  windows  but  in  the  roof,  which  gives  light 
enough.  There  were  five  of  these  domes  joining  to- 
gether, the  outmost  being  less  than  the  rest,  and  serving 
only  as  a  hall,  wliere  the  portress  stood  at  the  door. 
Ladies  of  quality  generally  give  this  woman  a  crown 
or  ten  shillings,  and  I  did  noc  forget  that  ceremony. 
The  next  room  is  a  very  large  one,  paved  with  marble, 
and  all  round  it  are  two  raised  sofas  of  marble,  one 
above  another.  There  were  four  fountains  of  cold 
water  in  this  room,  falling  first  into  the  marble  basons, 

•'6)  Vol.  ii.  Let,  xliii.  (7)  Vol.  i.    Let.  xxvh 


OF    EASTERN    BATHS.  63 

and  then  running  on  the  floor  in  little  channels  made 
for  that  purpose,  which  carried  the  streams  into  the  next 
room,  something  less  than  this,  with  the  same  sort  of 
marble  sofas,  but  so  hot  with  steams  of  sulphur,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  baths  joining  to  it,  it  was  impossible 
to  stay  there  with  one's  clothes  on.  The  two  other 
domes  were  the  hot  baths,  one  of  which  had  cocks  of 
cold  water  turning  into  it,  to  temper  it  to  what  degree 
of  warmth  the  bathers  please  to  have. 

"  1  was  in  my  travelling  habit,  which  is  a  riding 
dress,  and  certainly  appeared  very  extraordinary  to 
them  :  yet  there  was  not  one  of  them  who  shewed  the 
least  surprise  or  impertinent  curiosity,  but  received 
me  with  all  the  obliging  civility  possible.  I  know  no 
European  court  where  the  ladies  would  have  behaved 
themselves  in  so  polite  a  manner  to  a  stranger.  I  be- 
lieve, upon  the  whole,  there  were  two  hundred  women, 
and  3'et  none  of  those  disdainful  smiles,  and  satirical 
whispers,  that  never  fail  in  our  assemblies,  when  any 
body  appears  that  is  not  dressed  exactly  in  the  fashion. 
They  repeated  over  and  over  to  me  Uzdle,  pek  Uzeilc, 
which  is  nothing  but  charming,  iwry  charming.  The 
first  sofas  were  covered  with  cushions  and  rich  carpets, 
on  which  sat  the  ladies  ;  and  on  the  second,  their  slaves 
behind  them,  but  without  any  distinction  of  rank  by 
their  dresS,  all  being  in  the  state  of  nature,,  that  is,  in 
plain  English,  stark  naked,  without  any  beauty  or  defect 
-concealed.  Yet  there  was  not  the  least  smile  or 
immodest  gesture  among  them.  They  walked 
and  moved  with  the  same  majestick  grace,  which 
Milton  describes  our  general  mother  with.  '  There 
were  many  among  them,  as  exactly  proportioned  as 
ever  any  goddess  was  drawn  by  the  pencil  of  a  Guido 
or  Titian, — and  most  of  their  skins  shiningly  white, 
only  adorned  by  their  beautiful  hair,  divided  into  many 
tresses,  hanging  on  their  shoulders,  braided  either  with 
pearl  or  ribbon,  perfectly  representing  the  figures  of 
the  graces."  Baron  de  Tott,  who  complains  of  the 
exuberance  of  her  ladyship's  pen,  and  who  doubts 
whether  she  went  into  the  bath  with  her  clothes  on, 
allows  and  confirms  the  general  description  (>). 

(8)  Memoirs  c^tht  Turh  and  the  Tartar.-.     London,  178^.  Vo!.  i.p.  19i. 


64  OF    ROMAN    BATHS. 

CHAP.  X. 

or    ROMAN    BATHS. 

PAGAN  Rome  had  as  great  a  passion  for  baths  as 
any  eastern  country  had  ;  she  had  too  a  passion  for 
sculpture  :  but  she  prostituted  herself  to  the  gods  of  all 
nations  to  gratify  it,  and  with  an  unsparing  hand  dis- 
tributed all  over  the  western  world  idolatry  and  vice. 
At  home  all  the  coast  near  Baioli  was  covered  with 
couiitry  houses  and  baths,  and  even  the  ruins  are  so 
grand  that  people  mistake  them  for  temples  of  Diana, 
Venus,  and  Mercury  (l).  They  are  surrounded  with 
galleries,  with  drawing-rooms,  canals,  and  reservoirs, 
piled  one  upon  another,  disputing,  even  as  they  fall  for 
rank  in  magnificence.  Cicero  has  immortalized  his 
villas  by  "works,  which  have  always  been  the  delight 
of  the  learned  (2)."  Seneca  noted  others  for  their  im- 
morality (3).  Vitruvius  hath  described  the  rooms, 
and  to  read  Horace  is  to  see  the  company,  the  houses, 
and  the  expensive  pomp  of  rooms,  embellished  with 
furniture  and  ornaments,  and  decorated  with  all  the 
softening  arts  of  the  East  (4). 

There  were  in  Rome  nineteen  magnificent  aque- 
ducts, and  twelve  publick  baths  (5),  all  truly  Roman; 
but  architecture,  which  had  arrived  at  maturity  in  the 
reign  of  Augustus,  drooped,  because  it  was  neglected 
under  Tiberius,  revived  a  little  under  Nero,  made  one 
fine  effort  in  the  time  of  Trajan,  and  left  to  the  admira- 
tion of  the  present  age  the  famous  column,  called  Tra- 
jan's pillar,  declined  again,  and  revived  once  more  un- 
der Alexander  Severus  ;  and  then,  along  with  other 
polite  arts,  fell  with  the  western  empire,  and  did  not 
rise  again  for  twelve  hundred  years.  During  this  long 
period  artists  were  ignorant  of  just  designing,  the  life 
of  architecture ;  and  baths,  as  well  as  other  buildings, 
displayed  a  medley  of  refinement  and  barbarism,   the 

(1)  Voyage  Pittoresque  de  Naples  et  de  Sicile.     A  Paris,  1781.      Tom.  u. 
Vue  des  Bains  de  Nero-     Page  214, 

(2)  John  Moore,  M.  D.  View  of  Society  and  Manners  in  Italy.    Vol.  ii. 
Let.  Ixv. 

(3)  Seneca  ad  Lucil  Epist.  52. 

(4)  Vitruvius.  Be  Architect.  Lib.  v.  Cap.  10. 

(5)  Joh.  Jac.  Boissard.    Aniiquitat.  Rom.   Francf.   1600. Onuphrii 

Panvinii Bartholomwi  Marliani  -  -  -  -  Petri  Victoris  -  •  -  •  Topograbhia 

Jioince, 


I 


or    MOHAMMEDAN    BATHS.  65 

first  in  beautiful  monuments  of  antiquity,  and  the  last 
in  ravages  and  repairs  of  foreigners.  There  was,  how- 
ever, in  both  periods,  one  invincible  objection  against 
using  Pagan  baths  as  christian  baptisteries  ;  they  were 
always  ornamented  with  heathen  deities,  and  the  statua- 
ry was  an  offence  both  to  the  morality  and  the  faith  of 
the  primitive  Christians.  They  could  baptize  in  the 
private  baths  ol  Jews,  because  they  had  no  images  of 
God  ;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  in  later  times  suc- 
ceeding teachers  made  use  of  ready  constructed  baths 
in  Mohammedan  countries  for  the  same  purpose  :  it 
is,  however,  certain,  that  Christians,  who  lived  among 
the  Moors,  were  some  of  the  last  who  erected  baptist- 
eries. 


CHAP.  XI. 

OF    MOHAMMEDAN    BATHS. 

THE  Mohammedans  in  general  preserve  in  their 
baths  a  moral  purity  as  well  as  grandeur  of  style,  and 
elegance,  and  chastity  of  design.  Jealous  of  the  honour 
of  one  God,  not  the  smallest  representation  of  animal 
life  can  be  discovered  amidst  the  variety  of  foliages, 
grotesques,  and  strange  ornaments.  About  each  arch 
is  a  large  square  of  arabesques  surrounded  with  a  rim 
of  characters,  that  are  generally  quotations  from  the 
Koran.  That  celebrated  remnant  of  the  ancient  mag- 
nificence of  the  Moorish  Kings  of  Granada  in  Spain, 
the  great  bath  of  the  A 1  ham  bra,  is  entirely  in  this  taste, 
and  is  thus  described  ( l)  by  an  excellent  judge.  "  On 
my  first  visit,  I  confess  I  was  struck  with  amazement, 
as  I  stept  over  the  threshold,  to  find  myself  on  a  sudden 
transported  into  a  species  of  fairy-land.  The  first  place 
you  come  to,  is  the  court  called  the  communa,  or  del 
mesucar,  that  is,  the  common  baths  :  an  oblong  square, 
with  a  deep  bason  of  clear  water  in  the  middle ,  two 
flights  of  marble  steps  leading  down  to  the  bottom  ; 
on  each  side  a  parterre  of  flowers,  and  a  row  of  orange 
trees.  Round  the  court  runs  a  perystile  paved  with 
marble  ;  the  arches  bear  upon  very  slight  pillars,  in 
9 

(1)  Henry  Swinburne,  Esq.    Travels  through  Spain.     Letter  xxii.  Page 
177—180.  *       ^  ^ 


66  OF    MOHAMMEDAN    BATAS. 

proportions  and  sU  le  clifFtrent  from  all  the  regular  or- 
ders of  arciiitecture.  The  ceilings  and  walls  are  in- 
crusted  with  fretwork  stucco,  so  minute  aiid  intricate, 
that  the  most  patient  draftsman  would  find  it  difficult  to 
follow  it,  unless  he  made  himself  master  of  the  general 
plan.  This  would  facilitate  the  operation  exceedingly, 
for  all  this  work  is  frequently  and  regularly  repeated  at 
certain  distances,  and  has  been  executed  by  means  of 
square  moulds  appiit-d  successively,  and  the  paits  join- 
ed together  with  the  utmost  nicety.  In  every  division 
are  Arabick  sentences  of  different  lengths,  most  of 
them  expressive  of  the  following  meanings,  "there  is  no 
conqueror  but  God  ;"  or,  "Obedience  and  honour  to 
our  Lord  Abouabdallah."  The  ceilings  are  gilt  or 
painted,  and  time  has  caused  no  diminution  in  the 
freshness  of  its  colours,  though  constantly  exposed  to 
the  air.  The  lower  part  of  the  walls  is  mosaick,  dis- 
posed in  fantastick  knots  and  festoons.  A  work  so 
new  to  me,  so  exquisitely  finished,  and  so  different 
from  all  I  had  ever  seen,  afforded  me  the  most  agreea- 
ble sensations,  which,  I  assure  you,  redoubled  every 
step  I  took  in  this  magick   ground." 

Mohammed  hath  incorporated  washings  in  his  relig- 
ion. "O  true  believers,  says  he,  come  not  to  prayers 
when  you  are  drunk,  until  ye  understand  what  ye  say; 
nor  when  ye  are  polluted,  until  ye  wash  yourselves. 
If  ye  find  no  water,  take  fine  clean  sand,  and  rub  3^our 
faces  and  your  hands  therewith.  When  ye  prepare 
yourselves  to  pray,  wash  your  faces  and  your  hands 
unto  the  elbows,  and  rub  your  hands  and  your  feet 
unto  the  ankles,  and  if  ye  be  polluted wash  your- 
selves all  over."  Mohammed  imagined  two  fountains 
of  water  near  the  gate  of  his  paradise,  of  the  one  the 
blessed  arc  to  drink,  and  in  the  other  they  are  to  wash. 

The  Mohammedan  ablutions  differ  from  those  of  the 
ancient  Pagans  in  one  respect.  The  washings  of  the 
old  heathens  were  either  derived  from  their  own  ob- 
servation, or  from  the  customs  of  their  earliest  ancestors, 
or  from  a  fanciful  superstition  ;  but  those  of  Mohammed 
are  evidently  copied  from  Judaism,  as  a  comparison  of 
the  several  cases  that  required  ablution  would  easily 
demonstrate. 


OF    BAPTISTERIES.  67 

Ablutions  for  sensual,  civil,  and  medical  purposes 
are  omitted  here ;  for  they  do  not  belong  to  an  essay  on 
religious  rites.  It  is  very  probable  that  the  cert  mony 
of  v\'ashing  before  worship  was  a  patriarchal  custom, 
and  that  all  nations  derived  it  originally  from  their  com- 
mon ancestors,  in  the  most  remote  antiquity  ;  but  this 
conjecture  is  not  necessary,  for  the  purity  ot  God  is  an 
idea  so  natural,  the  connexion  between  his  pmity  ar.d 
that  of  his  worshippers  so  obvious  and  the  signifyiug  of 
these  notions  by  washing  the  body  with  pure  water  so 
very  consequential,  that  there  is  nothing  wonderful, 
mysterious,  or  unaccountable,  in  a  similarity  of  prac- 
tice. 


CHAP.  XII. 


OF    BAPTISTERIES. 


IT  should  seem  then,  the  primitive  Christians  in  the 
empire  were  under  a  necessity  of  baptizing  in  open 
waters,  or,  where  they  had  not  private  baths  of  their 
own,  of  constructing  baptisteries  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  administering  baptism.  Authors  are  not  agreed 
about  the  time  when  the  first  baptisteries  were  built. 
All  agree  that  the  first  were,  like  the  manners  and 
conditions  of  the  people,  very  simple,  and  merely  for 
use,  and  that  in  the  end  they  rose  to  as  high  a  degree  of 
-elegant  superstition,  as  enthusiasm  coi.'d  invent.  The 
catholicks  affirm,  that  the  Emperor  Constantine  built 
a  most  magnificent  baptistery  at  R(jme,  and  was  hiihself 
with  his  son  Crispus  baptized  there;  and  in 'evidence 
they  produce  some  ancient  records,  and  shew  a  princely 
baptistery  at  the  Lateran  to  this  day  (l).  Protestants, 
influenced  they  think  by  better  authorii\  irom  authentick 
history,  prove,  that  the  empe.or  tell  sick  at  Constan- 
tinople, nent  to  the  hot  baths  at  Helenopolis,  and  from 
thence  to  Nicomedia,  and  in  the  suburbs  of  that  city 
was  baptized  by  Lusebius.  '1  hey  say,  he  deferred  his 
baptism,  as  many  more  did,  till  he  iound  his  constitUr 
tion  breaking  up,  and  himself  ju-,t  going  to  the  grave. 
Some  thirk  he  was  baptized  twice,  and  departed  an 
Unitaiian  Anabaptist. 

(1)  Anastasius Baroniiis Durant,  &.<:, 


QB  or    BAPTISTERIES. 

It  is  not  impossible,  it  may  be  hoped,  to  reconcile 
the  difference  between  learned  writers  concerning  the 
time,  when  Christians  erected  publick  edifices.  Suicer, 
Vedeiius,  and  others,  affirm,  that  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians had  no  distinct  places  of  worship  for  the  first  three 
centuries  (2).  Bingham,  Mede,  and  others  deny  this, 
and  endeavour  to  prove  that  Christians  had  publick 
places  of  worship  in  the  third,  second,  and  even  first 
century(3).  Both  sides  appeal  to  the  fathers,  and  for  this 
very  reason  the  dispute  may  be  comfortably  settled.  Ev- 
ery body  knows  the  stvle  of  those  primitive  writers  is 
so  full  of  tropes,  figures,  and  allusions,  that  half  the 
difficulty  of  understanding  them  lies  in  determining 
when  they  speak  literally,  and  when  they  depart  from 
this  first  law  of  all  perspicuous  and  polished  writers. 
In  the  present  case  they  are  charged  with  directly  con- 
tradicting one  another ;  for  Origen,  Minutius  Felix, 
Arnobius,  and  others,  affirm,  Christians  had  no  tem- 
ples :  on  the  contrary,  many  of  equal  authority  say 
they  had,  and  what  is  more  extraordinary,  Lactantius, 
and  some  other  fathers,  contradict  themselves,  and  say 
they  had,  and  they  had  not.  The  most  probable  con- 
jecture is,  that  when  they  speak  of  temples  among 
primitive  Christians,  they  mean  Christians  themselves, 
especially  christian  assemblies  ;  for  so  they  had  figur- 
atively temples,  and  they  may  be  very  well  allowed  to 
expatiate  on  the  worth,  and  even  the  majesty  of  the  ma- 
terials. When  they  affirm  they  had  no  temples,  they 
speak  literally  of  such  edifices  as  the  Pagans  had,  for 
it  is  allowed  on  all  hands  that  they  assembled  in  their 
own  houses,  and  if  there  be  any  faith  in  ancient  monu- 
ments, often  in  obscure  and  remote  places,  and  partic- 
ularly in  such  subterranean  caverns  as  the  Italians  call 
catacombs.  These  cavities  are  very  numerous  about 
three  miles  from  Rome,  and  about  Naples,  and  many- 
other  parts.  It  is  supposed  many  of  them  were  dug  by 
the  inhabitants  for  materials  to  build,  for  here  they 
found  both  stone  and  a  cement,  which  the  Neapolitans 
call  La  pozzolane.  They  shew  one  at  Naples,  where 
S.  Januarius  is  represented  as  preaching  by  the  light  of 

(2)  Suicer.      Tkcsaur.      Eccles.     N«<5 Vedel.    Exercitat.  in  Ignatii . 

Epist.  ad  Ephes.  4 

(3)  Bingham.  Oripnet  Eccies.  Book  viii.  chap.  1. 


OF    BAPTISTERIES.  69 

two  lamps  to  some  primitive  Christians  (4).  Thtre 
are  now  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  not  including  Sicily, 
one  hundred  and  twenty-three  bishopricks,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  Naples  are  computed  at  three  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  :  but  they  are  not  ashamed  to  own  this 
conventicler  for  their  founder  and  patron.  He  was 
martyred  at  the  latter  end  of  the  third  century,  and  the 
liquefaction  of  his  blood  is  famous  all  over  Europe. 

To  return.  Baptisteries  are  to  be  first  sought  for, 
where  they  were  first  wanted,  in  towns  and  cities  ;  for 
writers  of  unquestionable  authority  affirm,  that  the  prim- 
itive Christians  continued  to  baptize  in  rivers,  pools  and 
baths,  till  about  the  middle  of  the  third  century  (5). 
Justin  Martyr  (6)  says,  that  they  went  with  the  catechu- 
mens to  a  place  where  there  was  water,  and  Tertullian 
(7)  adds,  that  candidates  for  baptism  made  a  profes- 
sion of  faith  twice,  once  in  the  church,  that  is,  before 
the  congregation  in  the  place  where  they  assembled  to 
worship,  and  then  again  when  they  came  to  the  water ; 
and  it  was  quite  indifferent  whether  it  were  the  sea  or 
a  pool,  a  lake,  a  river,  or  a  bath.  About  the  middle 
of  the  third  century  baptisteries  began  to  be  built  :  but 
there  were  none  within  the  churches  till  the  sixth  cen- 
tury ;  and'  it  is  remarkable  that  though  there  were 
many  churches  in  one  city,  yet  (with  a  few  exceptions) 
there  was  but  one  baptistery.  This  simple  circum- 
stance became  in  time  a  title  to  dominion,  and  the  con- 
gregation nearest  the  baptistery,  and  to  whom  in  some 
places  it  belonged,  and  by  whom  it  was  lent  to  the  oth- 
er churches,  pretended  that  all  the  others  ought  to  con- 

(4)  Anton-Caraccioli.  De  sac.  Ecdes.  Neap,  momirti.  Neap.  1645.  P.  189. 
Tue  des  Catacombs  des  Naples.  Tom.  i.  I'art  i.  Page  80. 

(5)  Writera.  PauUi  M.  Paciaudii  Antiq.  Christian.   Diss.  ii.  Cap.  1,  2,  &c. 

De  Baptisteriis Rom<e   1755- —  W^alafridi    Strabonis,  De  re(!>.  Eccles. 

lib.  Cap.  26. Joan,  Stepli.  Durant  De  Sit.  Eccles.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  xix.  De 

Baptisterio.    Parisiis   1631. Josephi  Vicecoinitis  Observat.  Eccles.  Tom. 

i.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  4.  An  baptisteria  semper  in  ecclesiafuerint  ?  Et  de  more  in 
fium,inibus,  jbntibus,  viis,  ac  carceribus  baptizandi,  Mediolani.  1615.  -  --- 
Joan.   Ciampini   Vetera   Monimenta.   Cap.   xxv.    De  Ecclesia  S.  yoannis  in 

fonte,  iJfc.   Romx  1699. Mazocchi  Diss.  Hist.  De  Cathed.  Eccl.  Neapoli- 

tana  semper   unica.  Neapoli  1751 Du  Cangii.  Glossar.  Baptisterium 

Sulpicii  Seven  Dial.  ii.  5. Bingham's  Antiquities.  Book  viii.  Of  the  Bap' 

tistery.     Cum  multis  aliis.  De  sacris  christianarum. 

(6)  Justini  Mart.  Apol.  ii. 

(7)  TertulUani  De  baptismo.  Cap.  4,  Stsijno,  Tlumtne,  Fonte,  Lacu, 
Alveo, 


70  OF    BAPTISTERIES. 

sider  themselves  as  dependent  on  them  (8).  When 
the  fashion  of  dedication  came  up,  the  church  that 
owned  the  baptistery  was  generally  dedicated  to  Saint 
John  the  Baptist,  and  assumed  the  title  of  S.  John  in 
fonte,  or  S.  John  adfontes,  that  is,  the  church  near  or  at 
the  bartistery.  It  is  common  now  for  Baptist  congre- 
gations in  large  cities  to  avoid  the  expense  of  erecting 
baptisteries,  and  to  borrow  for  the  time  of  the  congrega- 
tion that  has  one  :  but  they  would  think  the  teacher 
of  that  congregation  a  bad  reasoner,  if  he  were  to  infer 
from  this  that  he  was  bishop  of  all  the  people  in  the  city, 
that  the  teachers  of  other  congregations  were  his  clergy, 
and  that  the  congregations  themselves  were  obliged  to 
believe  and  practise^  what  he  ordered  under  pain  of  a 
fine,  an  imprisonment,  or  death,  as  he  in  his  wisdom 
should  think  most  fit  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
good  of  the  church  of  S.  John  mfonte.  This,  how- 
ever, hath  been  done,  and  it  hath  been  effected  by  prov- 
ing what  was  very  true,  that  the  noble  and  splendid 
cities  of  Florence,  Pisa,  Bologna,  Parma,  Milan,  and 
many  others  in  Italy,  had  but  one  baptistery  in  each,  and 
by  inferring  what  was  very  false,  that  the  incumbent  of 
the  baptismal  church  was  therefore  the  parent  and  lord 
of  all  the  rest.  These  baptismal  churches  were  gen- 
erally built  near  rivers,  or  waters,  as  those  of  Milan, 
Naples,  Ravenna,  Verona,  and  many  more  (9).  I 
later  times  the  bishop  of  the  baptismal  church,  having 
obtained  secular  power,  granted  licenses  for  other 
churches  to  erecr  baptisteries,  taking  care,  however, 
to  maintain  his  own  dominion   over  the  people. 

By  a  baptistery,  which  must  not  be  confounded  with 
a  modern  font,  is  to  be  understood  an  octagon  building, 
with  a  cupola  roof,  resembling  the  dome  of  a  cathe- 
dral, adjacent  to  a  church,  but  no  part  of  it(l).  All 
the  middle  part  of  this  building  was  one  large  hall 
capable  of  containing  a  great  multitude  of  people  ;  the 
sides  were  parted  off,  and  divided  into  rooms,  and,  in 

(8)  Greg'.  Nazianzeni  Orat.  xl.  -  -  -  Onupbrii  Panvinii  De  prexc'p.  urb. 
Horn.  Basi/'c.  de  Baptister.  lateran,  cap.  -  -  -  Muratorii  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  i. 
Part.  2.     Pippini  Leges  i. 

(9)  Paciaudius  ut  supra. 

(1)  Joan.  Ciampini  Vet  Monhnenta.  Cap.  xxv.  Baptisterum  Ravenna- 
tense  octangulare.  Oiim  eniiu  baptisteria  octogonali  forma  constructa 
fuisse,  &;c. 


OF    BAPTISTERIES.  71 

some,  rooms  were  added  without- side,  in  the  fashion  of 
cloisters.  In  the  middle  of  the  great  hall  was  an 
octagon  bath,  which,  strictly  speak  in  p^,  was  the  bap- 
tistery, arid  from  which  the  whole  building  was  denom- 
inated. This  was  called  the  pool,  the  pond,  the  place 
to  swim  in,  besides  a  great  number  of  other  names  (2;) 
of  a  figurative  nature,  taken  from  the  religious  benefits 
which  were  supposed  to  be  connected  with  baptism; 
such  as  the  laver  of  regeneration,  the  luminary,  and 
many  more  of  the  same  parentage. 

Some  had  been  natural  rivulets,  before  the  buildings 
were  erected  over  them,  and  the  pool  was  contrived  to 
retain  water  sufficient  for  dipping,  and  to  discharge  the 
rest  (3).  Others  were  supplied  by  pipes,  and  the 
water  was  conveyed  into  one  or  more  of  the  side  rooms ; 
for  as  they  often  (if  not  always)  baptized  naked,  decency 
required  that  the  baptism  of  the  women  should  be  per- 
formed apart  from  that  of  the  men.  Some  of  the  sur- 
rounding rooms  were  vestries,  others  school-rooms,  both 
for  the  instruction  of  youth,  and  for  transacting  the  affairs 
of  the  church  ;  and  councils  have  been  held  in  the  great 
halls  of  these  buildings  (4).  It  was  necessary  they 
should  be  capacious,  for  as  baptism  was  administered 
only  twice  a  year,  the  candidates  were  numerous,  and 
the  spectators  more  numerous  than  they.  Baronius 
relates  an  anecdote  of  a  little  boy  falling  through  the 
pressure  of  the  crowd  into  a  baptistery  in  Rome, 
and  being  drowned  (5).  This  is  very  credible  :  but 
that,  after  he  had  lain  an  hour  at  the  bottom,  he  was 
restored  to  life  by  Damasus,  is  not  quite  so  likely. 
It  is  an  opinion  generally  received,  and  very  proba- 
bly, that  these  buildings  took  some  of  their  names  from 
the  memorable  pool  of  Bethesda,  which  was  surrounded 
with  porches,  or  cloistered  walks.  The  Syriack  and 
Persick  versions  call  Bethesda,  a  place  of  baptistery, 
or,  lying  aside  Eastern  idioms,  plainly  a  bath  (6).  The 
Greek  name  K6Xv^^y,efx  signifies  a  swimming  place,  a  place 
to  swim  in  ;  ana  liie  Latin  name  piscina  simply  signi- 
fies a  dipping,  or  diving  place.     It  is  from  the  gram- 

(2)  Paciaudius  ut  supra Durant,  &c.  &.c.         (3)  Paciaudius  ut  sup. 

(4)  Suicer.    Thesaur  Eccl.  voce  (pt^iltrAOtov.         (5)  Annales.  Ann.  384. 

(6)  M.  Mich,  Arnoldi  sub  Frischmutho   dissert,   de  Piscina  Bethes 

Wendeleri   Dissert,  de  Piscina  Bethes. 


72  OF    BAPTISTERIES. 

matical  sense  of  these  words  that  many  learned  men 
suppose  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  which  is  said  to  be  by 
the  sheep  market^  or  rather  by  the  sheep  gate^  to  have 
been  a  place  where  sheep  were  washed  before  they 
were  offered  to  the  priests  for  sacrifice.  Whether  these 
names  were  given  to  christian  baptisteries  because  they 
were  built  after  the  model  of  Bethesda,  which  is  not  an 
improbable  conjecture  ;  or  whether  they  were  so  called 
from  a  fanciful  parallel  between  Besthesda  and  a  baptis- 
tery, is  not  certain.  A  genuine  father  would  readily 
find  many  resemblances  between  halt,  sick  a^nd  impo- 
tent people  and  the  fallen  sons  of  Adam  ;  the  nature  of 
sheep  and  the  qualities  of  Christians ;  washing  in  a 
pool  before  sacrifice  on  a  mountain,  and  baptism  in 
this  valley  of  tears  before  ascending  to  the  Lamb  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne.  The  first  is  the  most  likely, 
because  a  baptistery  was  like  Bethesda,  a  pool,  in  a 
court  surrounded  with  cloisters  :  but  the  last  is  not 
improbable  ;  for  allegory  can  do  any  thing  ;  and  certain 
it  is,  TertuUian,  Optatus,  and  others,  who  called  them- 
selves fish,  ran  the  parallel  too  far.  *'  You,"  says 
TertuUian  to  some  who  denied  baptism,  "you  act 
naturally,  for  you  are  serpents,  and  serpents  love  deserts, 
and  avoid  water  ;  but  we,  like  fishes,  are  born  in  the  water, 
and  are  safe  by  continuing  in  it." 

There  were  in  process  of  time  baptisteries  at  most  o 
the  principal  churches  of  Rome,  as  at  those  of  St.  Peter» 
St.  Laurence,  St.  Agnes,  St.  Pancras,  and  others  (7). 
The  church  of  St.  Agnes  is  a  small  rotund,  and  it  is 
said  a  baptistery  adjacent  was  erected,  for  the  baptism 
of  Constantia,  sister  of  the  Emperor  Constantine  (8). 
Some  think  the  church  itself  was  the  baptistery.  The 
most  ancient  is  that  at  St.  John  Lateran  (9).  Such 
baptisteries  were  erected,  separate  from  the  churches, 
in  all  the  principal  cities  of  Italy,  as  Florence,  Ravenna, 
Milan,  Pisa,  Parma,  and  the  rest  ;  but  in  one  point 
these  cities  differed  from  that  at  Rome  :  at  Rome  there 
were  many  :  in  other  Italian  cities  only  one  at  first  ;  in 
the  middle  ages  two,  an  unitarian  and  a  trinitarian  ; 
and  in  modern  times  only  one,  and  that,  the  trinitarian 
or  catholick.     Some  are  yet  standing  :    the  memory  of 

(7)  Johan.  Mabillon.  Iter.  ItaL  I'om.  i,  xxv. 

(8)  Ciampini  Vet.  Mon.  Cap.  xxvi. 

(9)  Giovanni.  Villani  Storia  Fiorenza,  1587.  Lib.  i.  Gap.  Ix 


OF    THE    BAPTISTERY    OF    ST.    SOPHIA.  73 

Others  is  preserved  in  records,  and  monumental  frag- 
ments ;  and  the  place  of  others  is  now  supplied  by 
fonts  within  the  churches.  The  convenience  extended 
the  custom  of  erecting  baptisteries,  and  improving 
them.  Linus  built  one  at  Besancon  over  a  stream, 
which  Onnasius  the  tribune  gave  him  for  the  purpose. 
That  at  Aquileia  was  placed  close  to  the  river  Alsa, 
and  all  were  set  either  over  running  water,  or  near  it,  or 
so  that  pipes  conveyed  it  into  the  pool.  The  octagon 
form  was  either  suggested  by  the  form  of  the  principal 
room  of  a  Roman  bath,  or  of  a  Gaulish  temple  at 
Milan  :  and  the  latter  is  the  most  probable.  If  so  the 
Gauls  are  the  remote  ancestors  ;  and  Milan  the  imme- 
diate parent  of  octagon  baptisteries.  It  doth  not  now 
seem  necessary  to  investigate  the  history  of  that  of  St. 
John  Lateran  at  Rome.  Some  attribute  it  to  the 
Emperor  Constantine,  others  to  different  Pontiffs  :  but 
all  must  and  do  allow,  that  the  primitive  edifice  hath 
yielded  to  time  and  accidents,  and  that  the  present  bap- 
tistery, though  very  ancient,  is  not  the  original  build- 
ing. 


CHAP.  XIII. 

OF  THE  BAPTISTERY  OF  ST.    SOPHIA  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

CONSTANTINE  the  Roman  Emperor,  soon  af- 
ter  he  had  given  full  liberty  to  Christians,  and  embraced 
the  profession  of  Christianity  himself,  removed  the  seat 
of  empire  from  Rome  in  Italy  to  Byzantium  in  Thrace  ; 
and  having  enlarged,  enriched,  and  adorned  it,  solemnly 
conferred  on  it  his  own  name,  and  called  it  Constanti- 
nople, that  is,  Constantine 's  city.  It  remains  one  of 
the  most  magnificent  cities  of  the  East  to  this  day.  For 
ages  it  was  the  seat  of  the  eastern  or  Greek  empire,  and 
it  is  now  the  capital  of  the  Ottoman  Empire,  and  from 
its  admirable  port,  is  often  simply  called  the  Porte. 

Here  his  imperial  majesty  erected  the  spacious  and 
splendid  church  of  St.  Sophia.  Succeeding  emperors 
amplified  and  adorned  it.  Justinian  at  an  immense 
cost  rebuilt  it,  and  his  artists,  with  elegance  and  mag- 
nificence, distributed  variegated  marbles  of  exquisite 
beauty,  gold,  silver,  ivory,  niosaick  work,  and  endles? 
10 


74  OF    THE    BAPTISTERY    OF 

ornaments,  so  as  to  produce  the  most  agreeable  and 
lasting  effects  on  all  beliolders. 

Tlie  baptistery  v\as  one  of  the  appendages  of  this 
spacious  palace,  something  in  die  style  of  a  convoca- 
tion-room in  a  cathedral.  It  was  very  larfre,  'axx\  coun- 
cils have  been  held  in  it,  and  it  wa;>  called  ^^7^  ^ftJI^rrupjay, 
the  great  llknniiiatorv  (l).  In  the  middle  Wiis  Uie  bath, 
in  which  baptism  was  administered  ;  it  was  supplied 
by  pipes,  and  there  were  outer  rooms  for  all  cop.cerned 
in  the  baptism  of  immersion,  the  only  baptism  of  the 
place. 

Every  thing  in  the  church  of  St.  Sophia  goes  to 
prove,  that  baptism  was  administered  by  trine  im- 
mersion, and  only  to  instructed  persons  :  the  canon 
laws,  the  officers,  the  established  rituals,  the  Lent  ser- 
mons of  the  prelates,  and  the  baptism  of  the  arch- 
bishops themselves. 

1.  Cafiofi  law.  The  Greeks  divided  their  institutes 
into  two  classes,  the  scriptural  and  the  traditional.  The 
division  was  merely  speculative,  for  they  thought  both 
equally  binding.  B  isil  gives  an  instance  in  baptism. 
(2).  The  scripture  says,  Go  ye,  teach  and  baptize,  and 
tradition  adds,  '  aptize  by  trine  immers'iony  and  "if  any 
bishop  or  presbyter  shall  administer  baptism  not  by 
three  dippings  but  by  one,  let  him  be  punished  with 
deprivation  (  )  "  At  what  time  this  canon  was  made, 
and  by  whom  it  was  first  called  an  apostolical  canon,  is 
uncertain  ;  but  it  was  early  received  for  law  by  the 
established  Greek  church,  it  was  in  full  force  when  the 
cathedral  of  St.  Sophia  was  built,  and  no  person  durst 
bajjtize  any  other  way  in  the  Sophian  baptistery. 

2.  The  officers.  In  the  church  of  St.  Sophia  there 
were  eighty  presbyters,  one  hundred  and  fifty  deacons, 
seventy  subdeacons,  and  forty  deaconesses,  beside 
catechists  and  others.  A  catechist  was  an  ecclesiastical 
tutor,  whose  immediate  business  it  was  by  instructing 
catechumens  in  the  principles  of  religion,  to  prepare 
them  during  the  thirty  days  of  Lent  for  baptism  at 
Easter.      Two  sorts  of  women  were  called  deaconesses 

(1)  Du   Fresne  in   Paul.   Silent,    Descript.  S.  Sophice  notae.  Ixxxii.  Bap- 

Ulster  imn. 

(2)  Op.  De  sancto  spiritu.  Cap.  xxviii. 

(3)  Canon  Apost.  1.  £<  rt?  tTTiirKOTroif  t)  vftirovlifci  ftv)  Tfiit  ZetTflKrf^oileij^C. 
3onarac  Com.  in  Can,  Jpost. 


ST.    SOPHIA    AT    CONSTANTINOPLE.  75 

ill  the  oriental  and  Greek  churches.  The  first  were 
the  wives  of  deacons  ;  for  all  church  officers  formerly 
communicated  their  titles  to  their  wi\es,  and  even  to 
their  mistresses.  Thus  Heraclius,  patriarch  of  Jeru- 
salem, kept  a  Venetian  lady  riamed  Pascha  di  Riveri, 
by  whom  he  had  childici.,  and  she  was  called  patriarch. 
^ss  (4).  The  wives  of  bishops,  presbytc  rs,  deacons  and 
subdeacons,  were  called  bishopesses,  prcbbyteresses, 
deaconesses,  and  subdeacoi  esso  (  ).  'J'he  stci.nd  are 
deaconesses  properly  so  talitd,  bicause  they  (officiated 
in  the  services  of  religior»,  and  chitfi\  in  ihe  adnnnistra- 
tion  of  baptism  to  their  ova  n  sex  (t).  The  office  of 
deaconesses  continued  in  all  churches,  eastern  and 
western,  till  the  eleventh  century,  then  it  fell  into  dis- 
use, first  in  the  Roman  church  (7),  and  then  in  the 
Greek  (8),  but  it  continued  longer  in  the  oriental 
churches  (S^)  ;  and  the  Nestorian  h^th  deaconesses  to 
this  day  (l).  The  duration  of  these  female  officers  is 
allowed  to  affi3rd  probable  proof  of  the  duration  of  the 
baptism  of  adults  by  immersion  (2). 

3.  Rituals.  All  the  ancient  Greek  rituals  have  in- 
structed catechumens  for  the  subjects  of  baptism,  and 
trine  immersion  for  the  mode  (3). 

4,  Lent-sermons.  The  archbishop  of  St.  Sophia  says, 
they  baptized  at  Easter,  and  the  forty  days  preceding 
were  devoted  to  religion.  They  abstained  from  certain 
foods,  as  fish  and  fowl,  they  went  to  church  every  day, 
"the  serious  part  of  them  laid  aside  publick  amusements, 
the  catechists  prepared  catechumens  for  baptism,  the 
prelates  preached  on  the  subject,  and  the  two  followin.^ 
extracts  from  the  discourses  of  Basil,  archbishop  of 
Csesarea,  may  serve  to  shew  both  how  and  whom  they 

(4)  Gesta  Dei  per  Franoos  :    sive  oriental,  exbedit.  hist,    Tom.  i.   Hano= 
via:  1611,   Piafat. 

(5)  Assemani  Bibliot.  Orient.  Tom.  iii.  Part  ii.  p.  847.     De  Diaconissis. 

(6)  Ibid. 

(7)  Ivenini.     Dissert,  apud  Asseman,     Post  annum  Christi  millesimum 
noil  special!  alicujus  concilii  decreto,  sed  sensim  sine  sensu  evanuisse,  &c. 

(8)  Asseman.  ut.  sup. 

(9)  Ibid.      Durant  lamen  diaconissarum  officium   in  ecclesia  Syriaca 
diutiiis,  quam  in  Grseca. 

(1)  Josephi    Indorum    Metropolitan,  pontijical.    Nestorianor.    an.    Chriit^ 
1559.  ut  Slip. 

(2)  Dr.  Rces's  Cyclopaedia  on  the  ivord  Deaconess 

(3)  Goar.   Eucholog.  sive  rituale  Gracorum.     Far  ii.  164:7. Theoplj. 

Hiei-o-Tzanphuvnar.   Menologia.  Venetiis,  1639. 


76  OF    THE    BAPTISTERY    OF 

baptized  in  the  Greek  established  church  in  the  fourth 
century  (4). 

"It  is  necessary  to  the  perfection  of  a  christian  life, 
that  we  should  imitate  Christ,  not  only  such  holy  ac- 
tions and  dispositions,  as  lenity,  modesty,  and  patience, 
which  he  exemplified  in  his  life,  but  also  his  death,  as 
Paul  saith,  I  am  a  follower  of  Christy  I  am  conformable 
to  his  death,  if  by  any  means  I  might  attain  unto  the  re- 
surrection of  the  dead.  How  can  we  be  placed  in  a 
condition  of  likeness  to  his  death  ?  By  being  buried 
ivith  him  in  baptisju.  What  is  the  form  of  this  burial, 
and  what  benefits  flow  from  an  imitation  of  it  ?  First, 
the  course  of  former  life  is  stopped.  No  man  can  do 
this,  unless  he  be  born  again,  as  the  Lord  hath  said. 
Regeneration,  as  the  word  itself  imports,  is  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  life  ;  therefore  he  that  begins  a  new  life 
must  put  an  end  to  his  former  life.  Such  a  person  re- 
sembles a  man  got  to  the  end  of  a  race,  who,  before  he 
sets  off  again,  turns  about,  pauses,  and  rests  a  little  :  so 
in  a  change  of  life  it  seems  necessary  that' a  sort  of 
death  should  intervene,  putting  a  period  to  the  past, 
and  giving  a  beginning  to  the  future.  How  are  we  to 
go  down  with  him  into  the  grave  ?  By  imitating  the 
burial  of  Christ  in  baptism  ;  for  the  bodies  of  the  bap- 
tized  are  in  a  sense  buried  in  water.  For  this  reason 
the  apostle  speaks  figuratively  of  baptism,  as  a  laying 
aside  the  works  of  the  flesh  :  ye  are  circumcised  with  the 
circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the  body 
of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ,  bu- 
ried with  him  in  baptism,  which  in  a  manner  cleanses 

(4)  Chrysost.  op.  Edit,  de  Montsaucon.  Tom.  li.  p.  445.  Tom.  i.  p.  611. 
Tom.  ii.  p.  42,  77.  Tom.  iv.  p.  8,  39.  Tom.  ii.  p.  224,  &c.  Catacheses 
ad  illiiminaiidos.  ...  -  Tom.  xiii.  Synopsis  eormn,  quie  in  operibus  ChrystoTrd 
observantur,  Diatrib-  i.  Baptism!  ritum  ita  describit  Chrysostomus :  qui 
baptizandi  erant  per  dies  triginta  ad  sanctum  illud  lavacrum  apparabantur  . 
antequam  tingerentur  bsec  verba  proferebant  :  Abrenuncio  tibi  Satana,  et 
pompct  tux  ct  cultut  tuo,  et  conjungor  tibi,  Ckrisie,  Hits  vera  addere  jubebantur, 
Credo  in  resurrectionem  mortuorum.  Posteaque  ter  in  unda  mergebantur. 
TRANSLATION. 

The  works  of  Chrysostom  edited  by  Montfaucon.  Vol.  ii.  p.  445,  &c. 
Catechetical  instructions  for  those  who  are  about  to  be  illuminated.  Vol.  xiii. 
Synopsis  of  those  things  which  appear  in  the  works  of  Chrysostom.  The 
baptismal  rite  is  thus  described  by  this  Father  :  The  candidates  for 
baptism  spent  thirty  days  in  preparing  for  that  sacred  bath  :  before  they 
were  baptized  they  made  the  following  confession  :  /  renounce  thee,  Satan, 
and  thy  potnp  and  thy  ivorship,  and  am,  joined  to  thee,  O  Christ  :  to  vihich 
they  were  ordered  to  subjoin,  I  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  After 
which  they  were  three  times  iramersed  in  the  flood.  Editor. 


*  ST.    SOPHIA    AT    CONSTANTINOPLE.  77 

the  soul  from  the  impurity  of  its  natural  carnal  affec- 
tions ;  agreeably  to  this  saying,  'uoash  me,  and  I  shall  be 
ivhiter  than  snoiv.  This  is  not  like  the  Jewish  purifica- 
tions, washing  after  every  defilement,  but  we  have  ex- 
perienced it  to  be  one  cleansing  baptism,  one  death  to 
the  world,  and  one  resurrection  from  the  dead,  of  both 
which  baptism  is  a  figure.  For  this  purpose  the  Lord, 
the  giver  of  life,  hath  instituted  baptism  a  representation 
of  both  life  and  death  ;  the  water  overflowing  as  an  im- 
age of  death,  the  spirit  animating  as  an  earnest  of  life. 
Thus  we  see  how  water  and  the  spirit  are  united. 
Two  things  are  proposed  in  baptism  ;  to  put  an  end 
to  a  life  of  sin,  lest  it  should  issue  in  eternal  death  ; 
and  to  animate  the  soul  to  a  life  of  future  sanctification. 
The  water  exhibits  an  image  of  death,  receiving  the 
body  as  into  a  sepulchre  :  the  spirit  renews  the  soul, 
and  we  rise  from  a  death  of  sin  into  a  newness  of  life. 
This  is  to  be  born  from  aboue  of  ivater  and  the  spirit : 
as  if  by  the  water  we  were  put  to  death,  and  by  the  op- 
eration of  the  spirit  brought  to  life.  By  three  immer- 
sions, therefore,  and  by  three  invocations,  we  administer 
the  important  ceremony  of  baptism,  that  death  may  be 
represented  in  a  figure,  and  that  the  souls  of  the  baptiz- 
ed may  be  purified  by  divine  knowledge.  If  there  be 
any  benefit  in  the  water,  it  is  not  from  the  water,  but 
from  the  presence  of  the  spirit  ;  for  baptism  doth  not 
same  lis  by  putting  aivay  the  filth  of  the  fleshy  but  by 
the  aJiswer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God.'" 

*'  What  time  for  baptism  so  proper  as  Easter  ? —  Let 
us  receive  the  benefit  of  the  resurrection  when  we  com- 
memorate the  resurrection  of  Christ.  For  this  the 
church  lifts  up  her  voice,  and  calls  from  far  her  sons, 
that  those,  whom  she  once  brought  forth,  she  may  now^ 
bring  forth  again  ;  and  feed  with  substantial  food  them, 
whom  she  hadi  hitherto  fed  with  the  milk  of  the  first  el- 
ements of  religion.  John  preached  the  baptism  of  re- 
pentance, and  all  Judea  went  out  to  him  -  -  -  -One  John 
preached,  and  all  the  people  repented  :  but  you  a 
prophet  calls,  saying,  wash  and  be  clean  ;  you  the 
psalmist  addresses,  when  he  says,  look  to  the  Lord,  and 
be  enlightened ;  to  you  the  apostles  say,  repe7it  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
/or  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receins  the  Holy 


78  OF    THE    BAPTISTERY    Of 

Ghost ;  the  Lord  himself  invites  you,  come  unto  me^  all 
ye  that  labour,  and  are  heavy  laden^  and  I  wdl  gwe  you 
rest.  All  these  passages  have  been  read  to  you  to-day. 
Why  do  you  delay  ?  Why  do  you  deliberate  ?  What 
do  you  wait  for  ?  Instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ 
from  your  infancy,  are  you  not  yet  acquainted  with  it(5)  ? 
Having  been  always  learninq,  will  you  ne'uer  come  to  the 
hioivledge  of  the  truth  ?  Making  experiments  all  your 
life,  will  you  continue  your  trials  to  old  age?  when  then 
will  you  be  a  Christian  ?  When  shall  we  acknowledge 
you  for  our  own  ?  Last  year  you  deferred  it  till  this  ; 
do  you  intend  now  to  put  it  off  till  the  next  ?"  It  seems 
clear  that  the  homilies  of  Archbishop  Basil  were  ad- 
dressed, not  to  Pagans  old  or  yo'ing,  but  to  the  chil- 
dren of  Christians,  whom  he  calls  the  church that 

the  Greek  church  of  those  times  did  not  force  a  profes- 
sion of  Christianity  upon  their  children,  but  conducted 

them  to  baptism  by  instruction  and  argument that 

baptism  was  administered  by  trine  immersion and 

that,  as  the  sermons  of  their  bishops  were  intended  to 
persuade,  so  the  lessons  for  the  day  read  openly  in  the 
church,  were  intended  to  explain  and  enforce  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism.  Nothing  like  this  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Lent-sermons  of  modern  times,  and  a  translation  of  the 
Lent-homilies  of  the  ancient  Greek  bishops  could  not  be 
read  to  any  congregation  of  modern  Christians  without 
great  absurdity,  except  to  Baptist  assemblies,  and  there 
they  would  be  heard  in  raptures  for  their  singular  pro- 
priety and  beauty. 

5.  Baptism  of  the  archbishops  of  St.  Sophia.  Nazi- 
anzen,  Nectarius,  and  Chrysostom,  presided  in  suc- 
cession over  the  church  of  Constantinople  at  the  close 
of  the  fourth  century,  and  the  beginning  of  the  fifth. 

In  the  year  three  hundred  and  twenty-five,  the  church 
of  Nazianzum,  a  little  city  in  Cappadocia,  being  desti- 
tute  of  a  pastor,  one  Gregory  was  baptized  and  elected 
bishop.  Gregory  and  his  wife  Nonna  were  both  emi- 
nent for  piety,  and  Nonna,  like  Hannah  ti  e  mother  of 
Samuel,  by  solemn  vows,  dedicated  her  children  to  God 
before  they  were  born  (6).  While  Gregory  was  bishop 
of  this  church  he  had  a  son,  whom  he  n^nied  after  him- 

(5)  Homilia  xiii.    Exhort,  ad  Baptismum  jx  y»)5r<«v  'iovn»\ii^%wff>im}  &C. 

(6)  Greg.  Naz.  Or  at.  xix. 


'  ST.    SOPHIA    AT    CONSTANTINOPLE.  79 

self,  and  who  afterward  became  so  famous  as  to  eclipse 
his  father,  and  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  St.  Gregory 
Nazianzen  (7).  His  father  gave  him  an  excellent  edu- 
cation at  Athens  and  Antioch.  While  he  resided  at 
Athens  he  contracted  an  intimacy  with  Basil,  which 
continued,  though  with  a  little  interruption  through  life. 
These  two  youths  were  so  intent  on  the  acquisition  of 
learning,  and  the  duties  of  religion,  that  they  knew  only- 
two  streets  in  the  city,  the  one  led  to  the  church,  and 
the  other  to  the  schools.  When  Gregory  had  finished 
his  studies,  he  returned  home  to  his  father.  He  had  al- 
ways been  a  catechumen  at  Athens,  and  had  attended 
the  catechetical  lectures  of  the  church  there  :  but  on  his 
return  he  was  baptized,  joined  the  church,  and  became 
an  assistant  to  his  father,  being  near  thirty  years  of 
age  (8).  Some  time  after  his  return  from  college  he 
married  Theosebia  the  sister  of  Basil  :  but  soon  quit- 
ted her  to  become  a  monk  (9).  In  process  of  time  he 
was  preferred  to  the  archiepiscopal  throne  of  Constan- 
tinople. Nazianzen  at  length  grew  tired  of  his  office, 
and  withdrawing  into  Cappadocia  along  with  many  oth- 
er bishops,  disgusted  like  himself  with  the  turbulence 
and  futility  of  councils,  was  succeeded  in  the  archiepis- 
copal  throne  by  Nectarius  (i). 

Nectarius  was  a  native  of  Tarsus,  and  when  Gregory 
Nazianzen  quitted  Constantinople  he  held  an  office  at 
court.  He  was  a  dissipated  gentleman  on  the  list  of 
catechumens,  and  availed  himself  of  a  happy  moment, 
and  got  himself  elected  patriarch  of  Constantinople  by  a 
corrupted  majority  of  the  council  then  sitting,  before  he 
had  been  baptized  (2).  He  was  actually  baptized  after 
his  election,  and  for  many  years  filled  his  high  office 
with  dignity  and  propriety.  He  was  succeeded  by 
John  Chrysostom. 

Chrysostom  was  a  Syrian,  born  at  Antioch  in  the 
year  three  hundred  and  forty-seven.  His  father,  Sccun- 
dus,  was  a  man  of  high  rank  in  the  army  (3).  His 
mother's  name  was  x^nthusa :  both  were  Christians 
before  John  was  born.     His  father  died  while  he  was 

(7)  Basil.  Op.  torn.  ili.  Benedict,  Parisiis,  1730.     Vita  Basil,  cap.  i. 

(8)  Ibid.  (9)  Muratorii.  Anecdota  Gneca,  p.  133. 

(1)  Greg.  Naz.  Episr.  ad  Ptocup. 

(2)  Sever.  Bhinii  Not   in  Concii.  Const,  acumen.  An.  381 , 

(3)  MoiUfaucon.     Chry.sostonii  vit.     Op.  torn,  xiii. 


so  OF    THE    BAPTISTERY    OF 

in  the  cradle,  and  his  mother,  though  she  was  only- 
twenty  years  of  age  when  she  was  left  a  widow,  con- 
tinued in  that  state,  and  devoted  herself  wholly  to  the 
educating  of  this  her  only  son.  She  provided  tutors 
for  him  in  several  branches  of  literature,  under  whom 
he  profited  so  much  as  to  become  one  of  the  most 
learned,  eloquent,  and  accomplished  young  gentlemen 
of  the  age.  Happily  for  him,  while  he  frequented  the 
bar  for  business,  and  the  theatres  for  pleasure,  as  others 
of  his  rank  did,  he  had  an  intimate  acquaintance  named 
Basil,  who,  being  himself  an  eminent  Christian,  pro- 
posed to  him  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and  pressed 
home  on  his  conscience  the  purity  and  felicity  of  its 
morals.  John  felt,  avoided  places  of  publick  amuse- 
ment, altered  his  dress,  forsook  the  bar,  and  commenc- 
ed an  intimacy  with  Meletius,  the  pious  bishop  of 
Antioch.  After  three  years  acquaintance  with  Mele- 
tius, who  was  extremely  fond  of  him,  and  who  thor- 
oughly instructed  him  in  the  religion  of  Jesus,  he  was 
baptized,  and  admitted  into  the  church,  being  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age.  In  a  church  where  the  archbishops 
themselves  were  baptized  at  an  age  of  maturity,  it  is  not 
imaginable  that  adult  baptism  was  accounted  an  impro- 
priety. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  add  here  the  baptism  of 
Basil,  the  favourite  of  Nazianzen  at  Athens,  and  after- 
wards archbishop  of  Caesarea  in  Cappadocia.  Nazian- 
zen discovered  the  soundness  of  his  understanding  and 
the  refinement  of  his  taste  by  selecting  Basil  for  his 
bosom  friend  at  college.  No  Christian  had  descended 
from  a  more  honourable  ancestry,  no  youth  had  receiv- 
ed a  better  domestick  education,  none  excelled  him  in 
beauty  of  person  and  elegance  of  manners,  none  went 
beyond  him  in  sweetness  of  disposition,  none  equalled 
him  in  future  life.  It  was  with  great  reason  that  Eras- 
mus preferred  him  before  all  his  contemporaries,  and 
named  him,  not  as  his  countrymen  did  Basil  the  Great, 
but  Basil  the  Greatest ;  for  he  is  the  best  writer  of  all 
the  Greek  fathers  (4).  Basil  descended  from  two  opu- 
lent families  of  Pontus  and  Cappadocia.  His  grand- 
fathers and  great  grandfathers,  being  Christians,  had 
suffered  immense  losses  in  times  of  persecutior),   and 

(4)  Erasmi  JEfiist.  ad  SadoUt. 


ST.   SOPHIA   AT   CONSTANTINOPLE.  81 

some  of  them  had  been  martyred.     His  father  Basil  was 
eminent  at  the  bar  in  Cappadocia.     By  his  lady  Knime- 
lia  he  had  ten  children,   three  of  whom  were  bibhops. 
Basil  was  the  eldest.      When  he  was  an  infant  he  was 
extremely  ill,   and  in  danger  of  death.     His  father  v\  as 
cut  to  the  heart,  he  could  not  help  praying  for  the  life  of 
his  child  ;  and   recollecting  how   the  tender  Jesus  had 
said  to  a  man  in  his  condition,  Go  thy  way,  thy  son  Ihethy 
he  hoped  for  his  recovery.     Basil  recovered,  and  was 
committed  to  the  care  of  his  grandmother  Macrina,  who 
resided  at  a  village  in  Pontus(5).      This  good  lady 
took  all  possible  care  to  instil  into  his  mind  the  relig- 
ious principles  of  her  bishop,  Gregory  of  Neocassarea, 
whom  she  chiefly  admired.      From  hence  in  early  age 
he  was  taken  home,    and  instructed  both  in  literature 
and  religion  by  his  mother  and  his  father,  who  then  re- 
sided at  Neocassarea.     Here  he  profited   very  much  in 
learning,  and  here    he  imbibed  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity  under   successive  bishops,  whose  lectures  he  at- 
tended as  a  catechumen.     His  father  sent  him  first  to 
Caesarea,  then  to  Constantinople,  and  lastly  to  Athens, 
where  he  completed  his  education.     Dianius  bishop  of 
Ccesarea  was  the  teacher  whom  Basil  most  esteemed. 
By   him    he  was  baptized  in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of 
his   age,    and   admitted   into    the    church.       Here   he 
performed  the  office   of  a  reader  of  the  holy  scriptures. 
When   Dianius  died,   the  church  elected  Eusebius,  a 
magistrate  of  eminent  virtue  and  knowledge,  to  succeed 
him.     He  was  only  a  catechumen  when  he  was  elected  : 
but  a  neighbouring  bishop  baptized  him,  and  hini  Basil 
first  assisted,  and  then  succeeded. 
"The  baptism,  then,  of  the*  Greek  church,  as  well  as 
of  St.   Sophia  the  Metropolitan,   in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
centuries,  was  that  of  instructed  adults,  whether  Pagans 
or   children    of  Christians,    by    trine    immersion.      It 
would  be  easy  to  make  similar  remarks  on  more  eastern 
churches,  as  on  that  at  Antioch,   the  capital  of  Syria, 
where  Chrysostom  presided  before  he  was  preferred  to 
the  see  of  Constantinople,  and  of  which  he  says,  the  city- 
contained  two  hundred   thousand  souls,  and  half  were 
Christians  ;  on  that  at  Alexandria,  the  capital  of  Eg}  pt, 
where  Athanasius  was  archbishop  ;  on  that  at  Jerusa- 
11 

(5)  S.  Basil,  r/f.  op.  Prcffixs  Cap.  i.  5. 


82  OF    THE    LATERAN 

lem  where  Cyril  presided,  and  on  many  more,  for  all 
their  baptisteries  resembled  that  at  St.  Sophia,  and  their 
baptism  was  that  of  believers  by  trine  immersion.  So 
far  were  the  Greeks  and  other  Easterns  from  imagining 
that  the  word  baptism  signified  sprinkling. 


CHAP.  XIV. 

OF  THE  LATERAN  BAPTISTERY  AT  ROME. 

THE  injustice  and  cruelty  of  the  Emperor  Nero  fell 
so  heavy  upon  the  people  of  Rome,  that  several  wise 
and  virtuous  citizens  conspired  to  rid  the  empire  of  him. 
Plautius  Lateranus,  consul  elect,  was  in  such  a  con- 
spiracy (1).  Being  discovered,  he  was  put  to  death, 
and  his  estate  on  mount  Coelius  was  confiscated  to  the 
crown  (2).  By  various  monuments  since  discovered,  it 
is  supposed  Vespasian  and  other  emperors  resided  in 
the  Laleran  mansion,  and  made  it  an  imperial  palace  (3). 
The  Emperor  Constantine  gave  this  old  building  for  a 
sort  of  parsonage-house,  or  rather  an  episcopal  palace, 
to  Sylvester,  bishop  of  Rome ;  and  among  other  im- 
provements converted  the  family  bath  into  a  baptistery 

(4). 

Catholick  historians  say,  Constantine  adorned  this 
baptistery  with  many  images  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
endowed  it  with  a  handsome  income  (5).  However 
that  might  be,  succeeding  bishops  of  Rome  repaired 
and  adorned  the  baptistery  ;  and  Hilary,  who  was  elect- 
ed pope  in  the  year  four  hundred  and  sixty- one,  and 
held  his  office  seven  y^ars,  added  four  oratories  or 
chapels  to  it  (6). 

A  traveller  entering  Rome  by  the  gate  Del  Popoh 
must  go  up  the  street  Strada  Felice,  till  he  arrive  at  the 
church  of  St.  John  Lateran.  Turning  in  and  passing 
along  through  the  church,  he  must  go  out  at  the  door 
behind  the  great  choir,  which  lets  him  into  a  court 
surrounded  with  walls  and  buildings.     On  the  left  hand 

(1)  Taciti  Annul.  Lib.  xv.  Cap.  49,  (2)  Juvenal.  Sat.  x.  15. 

(3)  Famiani  Nardini  Roma  vetus.  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  vii.  Coehus  apud 
Grzevium.   Tom.  iv. 

(4)  Ciampini  Be  Sacris  Rdificits  a  Constantino  exstructis,  cap.  i. 

(5)  Platins  et  Onuphrii  Vit.  Pontif.  jRommor.  Colon.  1568.  Silvest.  i.  vit. 

(6)  Pontiff.  Vita.    Hilarius  i. 


BAPTISTERY    AT    ROME.  83 

is  a  porch  supported  by  two  marble  pillars,  which 
leads  into  the  octagon  edifice,  called  the  baptistery. 
On  entering,  he  will  observe  eight  large  polygonal  pillars 
of  porphyry  support  the  roof,  and  there  is  a  spacious 
walk  all  round  between  them  and  the  uall  (7).  In  the 
centre  of  the  floor,  under  the  cupola,  is  the  baptistery 
properly  so  called,  lined  with  marble,  with  three  steps 
down  into  it,  and  about  five  Roman  palms,  that  is,  thirty 
seven  inches  and  a  half  deep  ;  for  the  Roman  palm  is 
seven  inches  and  a  half  English  measure  (8).  Some 
antiquaries  are  of  opinion  that  this  baptistery  was  deeper 
formerly  (9).  Perhaps  it  might  before  the  baptism  of 
youths  was  practised,  but  this,  all  things  considered,  is 
the  most  desirable  of  all  depths  for  baptizing  persons  of 
a  middle  size  ;  and  in  a  bath  kept  full  as  this  was  by 
a  constant  supply  of  fresh  water,  the  gage  was  just,  and 
any  number  might  be  baptized  with  ease  and  speed. 

The  true  standard  depth  o-f  water  for  baptizing  an 
individual  is  something  less  than  two-thirds  of  the 
height,  be  that  what  it  may  ;  but  the  tallest  man  may  be 
baptized  in  the  Lateran  depth  by  only  setting  his  right 
foot  forward,  and  by  bending  his  knees  a  little  to  lower 
his  height,  while  the  ceremony  of  bowing  him  in  the 
water   is  performed. 

It  would  be  foreign  to  the  present  purpose  to  exam- 
ine all  the  ornaments  of  this  beautiful  antique  ;  it  should 
however,  be  observed,  that  the  adjoining  chapels  built 
by  Hilary  for  the  use  of  administrators  and  catechumens 
were  appendages  to  the  baptistery,  and  are  as  it  were 
inserted  into  it  (I).  That  on  the  right  hand,  dedicated 
to  St.  John  the  evangelist,  hath  an  elegant  roof  of 
Mosaick  work  in  the  most  chaste  and  delicate  style  ; 
and  as  a  proof  of  its  great  antiquity,  there  is  not  an 
human  animal  represented,  or  even  a  single  cross  (2). 
Never  was  a  prettier  pattern,  for  nothing  can  be  more 
soft  and  satisfactory.  Birds  and  fruits  are  not  crowded, 
but  lightly  distributed,  in  various  segments,  and  foliage 
and  flowers  are  seen  curved  and  w  reathed  in  the  pretti- 
est style  in  the  world.     In  the  centre,   surrounded    with 

(7)  Ciampini  Vet.  Moniment.  cap.  xxvi.  De  Lateranensi  Bapthterio. 

(8)  F,  Rossi  Ritratto  di  Roma  Moderna.  Roma  1645.  Di  S.  Gio. 
Battista  in  fonte.         Jos.  Vicecom.     De  Baptisteriis. 

(9)  Vicecom  vbi.  sup  (1)  CiAm^ini  ubi  supra . 
(2)  Nulla  humana  figura  in  eo  fornice  reperiatur. 


84  OF    THE    LATERAN 

a  laurel  crown,  stands  one  innocent  lamb,  intended  to 
remind  catechumens,  say  antiquaries,  of  what  John  the 
B.iptist  said  concerning  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  oj  the  "j^orld:  a  proper  lesson  when  they 
were  preparing  to  be  baptized  in  the  adjoining  hall. 
At  the  opposite  end  of  tiie  baptismal  hall  is  a  second 
door,  on  which  are  these  words,  Bishop  Hilary,  a  ser- 
i)ant  of  God,  dedicates  this  to  blessed  John  the  Baptist. 
0\er  the  door  within  side,  cut  in  a  fillet  of  veined  mar- 
ble, are  these  words,  Lord,  I  lo'ue  the  place  where  thine 
honour  dwelleth.  This  chapel  resembles  the  other, 
except  that  the  roof  is  a  different  pattern  thou,^h  in  the 
same  taste,  and  in  the  corners  of  two  little  windows  are 
the  figures  of  the  four  evangelists,  with  their  hieroglyph- 
icks,  arfd  with  another  proof  of  their  antiquity,  the  gos- 
pel open  in  their  hands. 

Learned  men  have  long  disputed,  and  they  have  not 
yet  determined  whether  Constantine  were  baptized  in 
this  baptistery.  Such  as  credit  the  pontifical  affirm  he 
was ;  such  as  follow  Eusebius  say,  he  was  not :  but 
Eusebius  doth  not  say  he  was  not  baptized  at  Rome, 
although  he  doth  say  he  was  baptized  at  Nicomedia. 
Cardinal  Baronius  endeavours  to  prove,  by  Eusebius 
himself,  that  the  emperor  was  baptized  before  the  pre- 
tended baptism  at  Nicomedia  ;  and,  what  is  more  to  the 
purpose,  he  brings  probuble  evidence  from  disinterested 
pagan  writers  of  the  time.  There  is  a  third  opinion, 
which  is  probably  the  only  clue  to  this  mystery,  that  is, 
that  he  was  baptized  at  Rome  into  the  faith  of  the 
Trinity,  and  rebaj)tized  at  Nicon^edia  by  Eusebius  into 
the  Arian  faith.  If  so,  the  first  christian  emperor  was 
truly  and  literally  an  Arian  Anabaptist. 

There  is  a  fabulous  history  of  the  baptism  of  the 
Emperor  Constantine  which  reports,  that  the  empe- 
ror was  afflicted  with  a  leprosy  ;  that  the  pagan  priests 
advised  him  to  bathe  in  a  laver  filled  vuth  the  blood  of 
innocent  children  ;  that  he  procured  children  for  the 
purpose,  \\hom,  when  the  priests  were  about  kill,  he 
returned  to  their  parents,  being  moved  by  the  tears  of 
their  mothers  :  that  the  apostles  Peter  and  Paul  appear- 
ed to  him  in  a  vision,  and  directed  .him  to  send  for 
Bishop  Sylvester,  who  would  shew  him  the  pool  of 
piety,  in  which,  while  he  should  immerse  him  three 
times,  his  health  should  be  restored  :  that  he  obeyed  the 


BAPTISTERY    AT    ROME.  95 

lieavenly  vision,  and  that  Sylvester,  after  he  had  blessed 
the  font,  purified  him  from  his  leprosy  by  trine  immer- 
sion (3).  .  In  this  manner,  forgers  of  books  were 
obliged  to  describe  baptism  in  order  to  give  an  air  of 
probability  to  their  productions. 

To  prevent  confusion  in  a  publick  worship,  conduct- 
ed by  a  great  many  persons,  as  well  as  to  preserve  uni- 
formity, prudence  early  suggested  to  the  hierarchies  of 
Greece  and  Rome  the  use  of  ordinals,  marking  every 
person's  part,  his  place,  his  dress,  his  words,  and  all  his 
actions  and  gestures.  Copies  went  from  church  to 
church  as  tunes  do  now,  and  at  length  ordinals  obtained 
a  general  likeness  and  displayed  an  infinite  variety. 

Father  Mabillon,  having  observed  that  the  vulgar 
Roman  ordo  was  a  confused  collection  of  several  ordines, 
collected  with  infinite  pains  the  most  ancient  copies, 
and  collated,  corrected,  and  published  sixteen.  Vari- 
ous as  these  are,  the  first  being  of  the  ninth,  and  sup- 
posed to  describe  the  seventh  or  eighth  century,  and  the 
last  of  the  fourteenth  (4),  the  order  of  baptism  differs 
much  less  than  could  have  been  imagined ;  for,  in 
regard  to  the  mode,  there  is  not  a  trace  of  sprinkling  or 
pouring  ;  it  is  dipping,  and  in  some,  trine  immersion  ;  and 
to  this  manner  of  baptizing  every  word  agrees,  as  going 
down  into  the  baptistery,  coming  up  out  of  it,  undress- 
ing, dressing,  napkins,  vestments,  and  so  on.  In  re- 
gard to  the  subjects,  although  they  are  called  infants,  as 
all  people  to  be  baptized  were,  yet  it  is  clear  the  rituals 
were  composed  for  the  baptism  of  minors,  on  their  own 
profession  of  faith.  It  was  a  great  misfortune,  that  the 
monks  set  oft'  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  it  was 
this  that  brought  their  successors  into  such  an  awkward 
situation,  that  when  the  times  required  alterations  it  was 
impossible  either  to  refuse  a  revisal,  or  openly  to  avow  it. 

On  the  Tuesday  of  the  third  week  in  Lent  (5),  the 
priests  in  the  public  congregation  gave  notice  :  "  Dear- 
ly beloved  brethren,  you  know  the  day  of  scrutiny  is  at 
hand  (6),  in  which  our  elect  may  be  divinely  instructed : 

(3)  Joan.    Sichardi  confesdo   Constantini  imp.  Colonits    1569.      Ipse  tibi 
piscinam     pietatis    ostendat,   in   qua  dum   te    tertio   merserit,    omnis   te 
Taletiido  ista  deserat  leprae. 
'    (4)   Mits.     Ital.     Tom.  ii.     Prxfat. 
;     (5)   Ordo  Roman.     N.     vii.     apud  Mabillon. 

(6)  Scrutinii  diem,  Dilectissimi  fratres,  quo  electi  nosti'i  divinitU* 
instruantur  inarainere  cognoscite,  &c. 


86  OF    THE    LATERAN 

you  will  therefore  vouchsafe  to  attend  with  fervent  de- 
votioti  at  three  o'clock  next  Thursday  :  that  ne  may 
endeavour  to  perform,  by  the  assistance  of  the  holy 
God,  that  heavenly  mystery,  by  which  the  devil  with 
his  pomp  is  destroyed,  and  the  gate  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  set  open."  When  the  time  appointed  was 
come,  the  infants  appeared,  and  an  acolothist  took  down 
their  names,  or  the  names  of  their  attendants.  This 
done,  the  acolothist  called  over  the  list ;  John  such  a 
one,  and  so  on,  and  placed  the  boys  on  the  right  hand, 
and  the  girls  on  the  left.  Then  the  presbyter  proceed- 
ed to  crossing,  praying,  exorcising  salt,  and  giving  it  to 
the  childreii.  Then  the  children  withdrew,  and  the 
service  of  the  day  proceeded.  At  length  the  priest  sat 
down,  and  the  deacon  went  to  the  door  and  called, 
*'  Let  the  catechumens  co.ne  forward."  Tiiey  did  so, 
and  the  acolothist  called  over  the  list,  and  placed  them 
as  before.  Presently  the  deacon  said  ;  "  Ye  elect  males, 
kneel  down  and  pray."  Tiie  children  did  so.  When 
the  deacon  thought  they  had  prayed  long  enough,  he 
cried,  "  Rise,  finish  your  pravers  altogeriier,  and  say 
Amen  :"  and  they  all  answered,  Amen.  The  i  the  same 
was  repeated  with  the  girls  :  Ye  elect  females,  kneel 
down  and  pray,  and  so  on,  as  Iiefore.  Next  the  priest 
proceeded  to  exorcism  and  benedictions,  and  in  the  end 
dismissed  them  by  saying,  Return,  and  come  agai »  to 
the  scrutiny  on  Saturday,  and  be  at  chnrch  in  time,  John, 
Thomas,  Mary,  and  so  forth.  Bet*veen  this  day  and 
Easter,  six  times  more  were  added,  for  the  whole  scru- 
tiny included  seven  days,  in  honour  of  the  sevenfold 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  whole  was  a  coarse  of 
tuition  mixed  with  superstitious  usages.  Manv  passa- 
ges of  scripture  were  read  ;  as.  Take  of  the  best  fruits  in 
the  land^  and  carry  down  the  man  a  present ;  and  take 
also  your  brother,  and  God  Al  nighty  give  you  mercy  s 
before  the  matt,  that  he  may  send  away  your  other  brother 

and  Benjamin And  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  his 

brother  Betijamin,  his  mother'' s  son,  and  said,  is  this  your 
younger  brother,  of  whom  ye  spake  unto  me  ?  God  be  gra- 
cious unto  thee,   my  son Hearken  diligently  unto  me, 

and  eat  you  that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul  delight 
itself  iti  fatness.  Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto  me  : 
hear^  and  your  soul  shall  live:  and  so  on.     Seek  ye  the 


BAPTISTERY    AT    ROME.  87 

Lord  while  he  may  he  found,  call  ye  upon  him  nvhile  he  is 
near.  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  vjay,  and  the  iinright- 
eons  man  his  thoughts,  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lordy 
and  he  will  ha=Ge  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God,  for  he 
^ill  abundantly  pardon  -  -  -  -  'There  ivere  many  lepers  in 
Israel-  -  ^-  -  In  the  beginning  was  the  word •  —  John 
bare  witness  of  him  -  -  -  -  Now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of 

Tiberius The   beginning   of  the   gospel    of   Jesus 

Christ  the  Son  of  God,  as  it  is  written  in  the  prophets^ 
hehold^  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,  iv inch  shall 
prepare  thy  way  before  thee.  I'hese,  and  several  more 
such  lessons,  were  read  to  die  children,  and  the  deacon 
often  cried  between  times,  "Stand  still  and  hear 
diligently.  Mind  and  observe  your  order  (,)."  On 
the  last  day  of  the  scrutiny  the  priest  gave  notice  of  the 
time  and  place  of  baptism. 

As  there  were  several  baptismal  churches  at  Rome(8), 
that  of  St.  John  Lateran,  the  mistress  if  not  the  mother 
of  all  the  rest,  where  the  pope  was  bishop,  and  where 
himself  officiated,  is  the  most  proper  to  be  seen  on  the 
present  occasion.  Holy  Saturday,  the  day  before  Easter, 
was  the  chief  day  of  baptizing  (9).  The  prime,  or  the 
first  canonical  hour  of  that  day,  began  at  midnight  :  and 
three  hours  were  spent  in  singing  psalms,  saying  prayers, 
and  reading  homilies  (l).  At  three  in  the  morning  the 
catechumens,  who  had  been  scrutinized,  attended,  and 
various  ceremonies  were  performed,  as  crossing  (2), 
blessing,  catechizing,  taking  the  renunciation,  and  so 
on  ;  and  in  the  end  the  archdeacon  dismissed  them 
with  these  words  :   "  My  dear  children,  return  to  your 

(7)  Aclnunciat  Diaconus,  dicens  :  State  cum  silentio,   audientes  intente. 

(8)  Ordo  Roman,  xi.  n.  43. 

(9)  Ordines  Missal.  Brev/ar.  De  Sabbato  Sancto.     Ord.  Rom.  i.vii.  46. 

(1)  Missal.  Sabbato  sancto. 

(2)  Ibid.  Sacerdos  tanei'it  de  oleo  sancto  scapulas  et  pectus,  et  dicit: 
Abrenuncias  Satame  ?  R.  Abrenuncio.  Et  omnibus  operibus  ejus  ?  R.  Abre- 
nuncio.  Et  omnibus  pompis  ejus  ?  R.  Abrenunc'-o.  JSgo  te  lino  oleo  salutis, 
Ifc.  Postea  dicuntur  eis  ab  archidiacono  :  Orate  electi,  jiectite  genua.  Et 
post  paululum  dicit  :  Legate,  istc.  Dicit  Diaconus  ;  Jilii  charissimi  rever- 
timini,  ksfc. 

translation: 

The  priest  applies  the  holy  oil  to  the  head  and  breast  of  the  catechu- 
men, and  says  ;  Dost  thou  renounce  Satan  ?  Ans.  /  do  renounce  him,. 
And  a  I  his  works  ?  I  do  renounce  them.  And  all  his  pofnps  ?  Ans  / 
do  renounce  them.  I  anoint  thee  with  the  oil  of  salvation,  isfc.  Afterwards 
the  archdeacon  thus  addresses  them  :  Te  elect,  prav,  bend  the  knee  And 
after  a  ilnrt  p  luse,  he  says,  /?/«,  ^J'f.  The  deacon  then  says  :  Dearly 
beloved  children,  retufn,  ^c.  {^Edit9r. 


88  OF    THE    LATERAN 

places,   and  wait  for  the  hour  in  which  the  grace  of  God 
may  be  communicated  to  you  by  baptism."     At  nine 
the  pontiff,  attended  by  a  great  number  of  prelates  and 
clergy,  went  to  the  sacristy,  and  after  they  had  put  on 
the  proper  habits,    proceeded  in  silent  order  into  the 
church  (3).     Then  the  lessons  for  the  day  were  read, 
and   several  benedictions  performed.      When  this  part 
was  finished,  his  holiness  with  his  attendants  proceeded 
to  the  baptistry,  the  choir  (4)  singing  all  the  way  the 
forty-second  psalm  :    Js  the  hart  panteth  after  the  vja- 
ier-brooks,   so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  0  God  ;   and 
so  on.      This  ended  at  the  porch  of  the  first  chapel, 
where  his  holiness  sat  down.     Then  the  cardinals  pre- 
sented themselves  before  him,  and  one,   in  the  name  of 
the  rest,  prayed  for  his  benediction,  which  was  bestow- 
ed (5).     This  was  repeated  thrice,  and  immediately  af- 
ter the  last,  the  pontiff  add^d  :    Go  ye,  and  baptize  all 
nations  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.        The   cardinals  having  received  the 
mission,    withdrew   immediately,  and    mounting    their 
horses  proceeded  each  to  his  own  station  to  baptize. 
The  pope  went  on  to  the  bap. tismal- hall,  and,  after  vari- 
ous lessons  and  psalms,  consecrated  the  baptismal  water. 
Then,    while   all    were   adjusting   themselves   in   their 
proper  places,   his  holiness  retired   into  the  adjoining 
chapel  of  St.  John  the  evangehst,  attended  by  some  a- 
colothists,  who  took  off  his  habits,  put  on  him  a  pair 
of  waxed  drawers,  and  a  surplice,  and  then  returned  to 
the  baptistery  (6).       There  three  children  were  waiting, 
which  was  the  number  usually  baptized  by  the  pontiff. 
Silence  was  ordered.     When  the  first  was  presented, 
he   asked,    What  is  his  name  (7)  ?  The  attendant  an- 
swered,  John.     Then   he  proceeded  thus  :   John,  dost 
thou  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  the  Creator  of 

(3)  Hora  nona  ingrediiintur  sacrarium  pontifex. 

(4;  Mab,  in  ord   Ro7n.  comvfient.  xv.  De  ritibus  Sabbati  sancti. 

(5)  Ord.  Rom.  xi   43.  (6)  Ord.  Rom.  %.  22. 

(7)  Ord.  Rom.  x.  22.  Preparatus  vero.  regreditur  ad  fontes,  et  prssen- 
tatjs  sibi  infantibus,  Johanne  scilicet,  sive  Petro  et  Maria,  interroget 
offerentem.  ^is  vocaris  ?  R'.^sp,  yn/iames  Inciilcat  et  dicit,  ^ohannec, 
credis  in  Deutn  patrem-  omnipotentuin,  creatorem  exit  et  terrce  ?  R.  Credo, 
iS'c.  -  -  -  -Interrog.  et  dicU  :  jjfohannes  vis  baptizari  ?  K.  volo.  Tunc  bap- 
tizat  eum  sub  trina  im'iiersidne,  sanctam  trinitatem  semel  tantum  invo- 
cando,  sic,  £f  ego  te  bapuzo  in  nomine  patris  ;  et  immergat  semel  ;  et  filii, 
et  immergat  secundo;  et  sptritus  sancti,  et  immergat  tertio  ;  m(  habeas 
mam,  aeternam,  R.  Amen,    SimUiter  Fetrum  et  Mariam. 


BAPTISTERY    AT    ROME.  89 

of  heaven  and  earth  ?  I  do  believe.  Dost  thou  believe 
in  Jesus  Christ  his  only  Son  our  Lord,  who  was  born 
and  suffered  death  ?  I  do  believe.  Dost  thou  believe 
in  the  Hoi}  Ghost,  the  holy  cathohck  church,  the  commu- 
nion of  saints,  the  remission  of  sins,  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  and  life  eternal  ?  I  do  believe.  John,  do 
you  desire  to  be  baptized  ?  1  do  desire  it.  I  bap- 
tize thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  dipping  him  once, 
and  of  the  Son,  dippinpj  him  a  second  tiaie,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  dipping  him  a  third  time.  The  pontift' 
added,  may  you  obtain  eternal  life  !  John  answered, 
Amen.  The  same  was  then  repeated  to  Piter  and  Mary, 
the  other  two.  Attendants  with  napkins  received  the 
children,  and  retired  to  dress  them  (^).  The  attend- 
ants of  his  holiness  threw  a  mande  over  Iiis  surplice, 
and  he  retired.  The  rest  of  the  catechumens  were 
baptized  by  deacons,  who  in  clean  habits,  and  without 
shoes,  went  down  into  the  water  (9),  and  performed  the 
ceremony  as  the  pontiff  had  set  them  an  exaaiple.  Af- 
ter all  was  ovcr(l),  and  the  children  dressed,  they 
waited  on  the  pope  in  an  adjacent  room,  where  he  con- 
firmed them,  and  delivered  to  each  chrism  and  a  white 
garment.  The  part  relative  to  the  habits  of  the  pope  is 
taken  from  the  twelfth  ordinal  in  the  collection  of  Father 
Mabillon,  and  it  was  written  by  a  cardinal  in  the  latter 
end  of  the  twelfth  century. 

That  these  ordirials  were  originally  composed  for 
the  baptism  of  those  of  riper  years  seems  not  to  admit 
of  a  doubt,  and  that  baptism  was  perforn\ed  by  im- 
mersion cannot  be  questioned,  nor  can  any  one  hes- 
itate to  deteimine,  that  the  candidates  were  the  chil- 
dren of  christians.  The  scrutiny  ;  the  service  in  part 
in  the  night ;  the  command  of  silence  ;  the  change 
of  deacon's  habits  ;  the  wax,  or  oil-skin  drawers, 
breeches,  or  trousers  of  die  pontif?";  the  interrogations 
and  answers  ;  the  kneeling  and  prajiiig  of  the  can- 
didates;  the  proper  lesso.  s  for  the  days;  the  services 
of  susceptors,  parents,  patrini,  and  matrini,  who  were 
uncles,  aunts,  relations,  or  assistants,  and  not  modern 
godfathers  performing  sponsion  ;  the  addresses  to  tne 
young  folks;  the  total  omission  of  charges  to  spon- 
gers; all  go  to  prove  the  point. 
12 
( 8)  Ord.  kom.  i.  44.        (9)  Ord,  Jiotn,  i.  43 .        (1)  Ord.  Rom.  x.  23 , 


90  OF  THE   CATHOLICK  AND  THE  ARIAN 

CHAP.  XV. 

OF   THE    CATHOLICK    AND    THE    ARIAN    BAPTISTERIES    AT 
RAVbNNA. 

THE  very  ancient  and  noble  city  of  Ravenna  was 
built  and  inhabited  by  idolaters,  worshippers  of  Diana, 
and  other  Etruscan  deities,  as  marbles,  altars,  and 
other  ancient  monuments  prove  (1).  A  primitive 
christian,  named  ApoUinaris,  and  said  by  the  eccle- 
siastical historians  of  Ravenna  to  have  been  one  of  the 
seventy  disciples,  first  preached  Christianity  there  (2). 
He  taught  in  private  houses,  his  converts  assembled 
to  worship  God  in  a  cottage  without  the  walls,  and 
he  baptized  sometimes  in  the  sea,  and  at  other  times 
in  a  bath  belonging  to  an  officer  of  the  army,  in 
whose  house  also  during  twelve  years  he  taught  tlie 
gospel.  In  process  of  time  Christianity  prospered  in 
this  city,  and  was  established  by  law.  Before  the 
year  451,  in  which  the  bajjtistery  now  in  sight  was 
put  into  its  present  form,  the  emperors  Honorius  and 
Valentinian  had  resided  here.  There  are  two  of  these 
buildings  in  Ravenna,  one  erected  by  the  Arians  in 
the  reign  of  Theodorick,  the  other  earlier  by  the 
Catholicks  in  the  reign  of  Valentinian  (3).  That  in 
view  is  the  catholick,  and  it  was  built,  or  rather  re- 
built in  a  more  elegant  taste  on  the  ground  plot  of 
the  old  one  by  Neon,  archbishop  of  Ravenna  (4). 
Proper  drafts  of  this  beautiful  little  monument  of  an- 
tiquity were  sent  by  Cavallo,  archdeacon  of  the 
church  of  Ravenna,  to  Ciampini  at  Rome,  and  were 
published  by  the  latter  among  other  antiquities. 

This  edifice  is  octangular  (6)  as  is  the  Arian  baptiste- 
ry, and  as  almost  all  baptisteries  were;  at  present  the 
two  angles  on  the  right  and  left  hand  sides,  at  the  upper 
end,  are  carried  out  in  a  semicircular  form,  and  parted  off 
for  oratories,  or  chapels.  On  entering  the  front  door 
you  find  yourself  in  an  octangular  room  of  about  two  and 
thirty  English  feet  square.  It  is  not  necessary  to  be 
so  exact  as  to  introduce  fractions,  the  Roman  foot  is 

(1)  Ant.  Franc.  Gorii.  Museum  JStruscam.  Tom.  ii.  Tab.  xxxv. 

(2)  Jos.  Vicecomitis.  Observ.  Eccies.  Tom    i.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  4. 

(3)  Ciampini.       (4)    Hieron.  Fabri   In  sacris  Meinoriis  Ratennx  antiqU0^ 
(5)  Montfaucon.    Supplem,  ToBi,  ii.  p»g.  220. 


BAPTISTERIES    AT    RAVENNA,  91 

two-fifths  of  an  inch  less  than  the  London  foot,  or  as 
twenty. nine  is  to  thirty.  Exactly  in  the  centre  of  this 
hall  is  a  vast  bath  of  white  Grecian  marble,  or,  in 
other  words,  an  octangular  receptacle  for  water  about 
nine  feet  square.  Directly  fronting  the  door,  at  that  end 
of  the  baptistery  which  is  furthest  from  it,  is  a  marble 
pulpit  with  two  steps  cut  in  the  same  block,  from 
which  elevated  stand,  probably,  some  teacher  over- 
looking the  water,  into  which  the  pulpit  projects  a 
little,  harangued  the  people  before  and  during  the 
time  of  baptism  (6). 

Eight  marble  pillars,  properly  placed  at  the  eight 
angles,  support  other  pillars,  and  columns,  and  arches, 
which  form  the  dome,  which  is  ornamented  with  mo- 
saick  work  of  the  utmost  magnificence  (7).  At  the 
top  of  the  dome  within  a  large  circle  exactly  in  the 
middle,  there  is  a  representation  of  the  baptism  of 
Jesus.  In  the  middle  flows  the  river  Jordan,  and  in 
the  midst  of  that,  stark  naked  and  up  to  his  navel  in 
water,  stands  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  to  be  observed,  by 
the  way,  that  there  is  not  the  least  indelicacy  in  this 
representation,  or  any  thing  to  oftbnd  the  most  chaste 
and  scrupulous  eye ;  but  not  to  interrupt  attention, 
it  may  be  proper  to  defer  remarking  on  this  for  a  lew 
minutes.  Over  the  head  of  Jesus  is  the  dove.  On 
the  left  hand  bank  in  a  short  thin  violet  coloured  cloak 
stands  John  the  Baptist,  inclining  over  the  river,  hold- 
ing in  his  left  hand  an  ornamented  cross  taller  than 
himself,  and  in  his  right  a  bason,  or  some  such  uten- 
sil, and  pouring  out  of  it  water  on  the  head  of  Jesus. 
It  hath  always  been  the  practice  of  artists  to  repre- 
sent rivers  under  human  forms,  and  it  is  done  here. 
There  is,  as  an  emblem  of  the  river,  a  man  in  the 
water  on  the  right  hand  side,  over  whose  head  is  the 
word  Jordan,  who  holds  in  one  hand  a  branch,  and  in 
the  other  toward  Jesus  a  napkin,  or  towel,  as  if  to 
wipe  him  after  his  baptism  (8). 

(6)  This  is  not  the  opinion  of  Ciampani.  His  words  are.  Hoc  ex  pul- 
pito  episcopus  (ni  tamen  fallor)  parvulos  baptizandos  in  aquam  immei-ge- 
bat.  It  shuuld  seem,  for  many  reasons  not  to  be  inserted  in  this  place, 
that  the  conjecture  in  the  text  is  the  more  probable  of  the  two. 

(7)  Joh.  Fred.  Gronovii.     Museum  Alexandrin. 

(8)  The  god  of  the  river.  Virgil.  iSneid  viii.  31. 


92  OF  THE   CATHOLICK  AND   THE   ARIAN 

This  circle  is  surrounded  by  another,  divided  by  a 
sort  of  flowers  and  festoons  into  twelve  parts,  in  each  of 
which  is  one  apostle  at  full  length,  with  his  name.  All 
are  ch^thed  in  long  habits  reaching  down  to  the  feet, 
and  the  hiud  part  of  the  cloak,  which  is  the  upper  gar- 
ment, is,  graceiully  enough,  gathered  up,  and  thrown 
over  the  arm  (9).  The  vesture  of  Peter  is  gold,  and 
the  cloak  white  :  that  of  Paul,  who  is  next  Peter,  is 
white,  and  the  cloak  gold  :  and  all  the  rest  are  varied 
as  these  two  are.  Each  carries  a  crown  in  his  hand, 
all  w  hich  are  of  different  colours.  That  of  Peter  is  of 
a  ruby  colour,  that  of  Paul  like  gold,  and  this  whole 
pan  is  e\  idently  taken  from  the  fourth  chapter  of  Reve- 
lation, uhcre  the  twenty-four  elders  are  described  as 
casting  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  which  place  the 
fathers  interpreted  oi  the  twelve  prophets  and  twelve 
apostles. 

A  third  circle  comparatively  narrow  surrounds  the 
second,  and  is  divided  into  twenty-four  compartments. 
Each  is  ornamented  with  columns,  cornices,  and  a  va- 
riety of  foliage  and  decorations.  This  circle  may  be 
conveniently  divided  into  four  parts,  six  in  each  part, 
for  each  six  resembles  another,  except  in  one  article, 
Mbich  will  be  mentioned  presently.  The  first  repre- 
sents the  tomb  of  a  martyr,  a  confessor,  a  prelate,  or  a 
bisljop.  The  secor^d  represents  a  small  sepulchre,  and 
out  of  the  top  a  lily  or  a  palm  springiiig  up.  A  lily  on 
a  tomb  denotes  a  virgin  or  a  confessor,  and  a  palm 
branch  signifies  a  martyr.  The  third  describes  the  seat 
of  a  bishop,  the  feet  of  a  gold  colour,  and  all  the  rest 
white.  The  fourth  repr-esents  a  sort  of  desk  of  a  gold 
colour  with  a  book  lying  open,  and  on  the  book,  in  ab- 
br-eviated  Latin,  these  words,  The  gospel  according  to 
Matthew.  The  fifth  is  the  same  as  the  third  :  and  the 
sixth  the  same  as  the  second.  Tlie  other  thr-ee  parts 
differ  from  this  only  in  the  words  on  the  books  ;  for  as 
this  is  the  gospel  according  to  Matthew,  the  others  are 
according  to  Mark,  Luke,  and  John. 

Bringing  the  eye  below  the  dome,  and  carrying  it 
round  the  interstices  between  the  eight  arches,  which 
support   the  dome,  in  ovals  of  foliage  are  represented 

(9)    Ciampini-.vestis-  , pallium -- Apostoli  dalmatica  et  Pallio  induti 
sunt.   Cap.  vii.  De  oramentis. 


BAPTISTERIES    AT    RAVENNA.  93 

at  full  length  eight  men,  one  in  each  oval.  Their 
heads  are  uncovered,  their  habits  are  white  and  long, 
the  cloak  is  gathered  up,  and  hangs  over  the  arm,  each 
carries  a  book,  four  lift  up  a  hand  with  two  fore-fingers 
and  the  thumb  stretched  out :  but  no  emblems  appear 
sufficient  to  determine  whom  the  artist  intended  to  rep- 
resent. Probably,  they  were  intended  to  describe 
Christians  newly  baptized  in  their  baptismal  habits. 

Passing  from  the  hall  of  baptism  to  the  chapel,  at 
the  left  hand  corner  of  the  upper  end,  these  words  on 
an  arch  meet  the  eye.  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgres- 
sion is  forgiven,  whose  sin  is  covered.  Blessed  is  the 
man  unto  whom  the  Lord  injputeth  not  iniquity. 
Then  on  another  are  these  words,  Jesus  laid  aside  his 
garments,  and  poured  water  into  a  bason,  and  began  to 
wash  his  disciples'  feet.  Under  these  words  stands  a 
large  marble  bason  of  exquisite  workmanship  chizelled 
into  foliage,  and  fruits,  and  birds,  and  angels.  It  is 
eight  feet  in  circumference  at  the  brim,  four  at  the 
base,  and  about  two  feet  high.  Here  baptism  is  now 
adminihtered  ;  but  formerly,  adds  the  learned  antiquary, 
when  it  was  administered  by  immersion,  it  was  per- 
formed in  the  middle  of  the  hall  (1).  At  that  time  this 
laver  was  used,  it  should  seem  by  the  inscription  over 
it,  to  wash  the  feet  of  persons  newly  baptized. 

In  regard  to  the  nakedness  of  Jesus  just  now  observed, 
it  should  be  recollected,  that,  however  shocking  it  may 
appear  to  English  manners,  and  how  rude  and  indecent  so- 
ever it  would  be  justly  reckoned  here  to  imitate  the  cus- 
tom of  introducing  naked  persons  into  publick  company, 
yet  in  the  ancient  eastern  world  it  was  far  otherwise,  and 
at  this  day  all  over  Italy,  in  places  sacred  and  profane, 
statues,  pictures,  vases,  and  books  exhibit  such  sights, 
and  nobody  is  offended.  It  is  not  only  in  the  ancient 
Etruscan  monuments,  in  those  of  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii,  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  royal  cabinets  all  over 
Italy,  and  in  many  other  parts  of  Europe,  that  naked 
figures  give  no  oifence  :  but  in  every  city  in  Italy  thr 
constant  sight  of  figures  \vithout  drapery  produce  in 
both  sexes  a  perfect  insensibility  to  nudity  (2).     The 

(1)  Ciampini.  In  hoc  autem  vase  sacri  baptlsmatis  ritus  ad  presem  pe- 
I'a.efitur,  cum  olim,  quando  baptismiis  per  imviersionein  dabatur,  in  medio 
adificii  perag-eretur,  iibi  octangulare  aquarum  receptaculum  erat. 

(2)  John  Moore,  M,  D.  Vico)  of  Society  and  Manners  in  Italy,  iSfc.  isfc. 


§4  OF  THE  CATHOLICK  AND  THE  ARIAN 

beautiful  and  magnificent  city  of  Florence  contains 
eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  before  whose  eyes  are 
exposed  in  the  streets  and  squares  an  hundred  and 
fifty  naked  statues,  many  of  them  are  of  exquisite 
workmanship,  by  Michael  Angelo,  B.iadinelli,  Dona- 
tello,  and  others,  and  the  Florentines  behold  theai  every- 
day from  their  infancy  without  any  hazard  to  their  mor- 
als. Christianity  hath  conveyed  die  god  of  the  gardens  in- 
to the  cabinets  of  the  curious :  but,  it  is  not  impossible,  that 
the  ancients  viewed  such  statues,  as  the  moderns  do  the 
Laocoons,  and  Apollos,  and  Venuses,  and  Madonnas ; 
or,  which  is  more  iiivcly,  as  the  ancient  Egyptians  view- 
ed hieroglyphicks. 

Let  it  be  observed,  next,  that  the  primitive  Christians 
baptized  naked.  Nothing  is  easier  than  to  give  proof 
of  this  by  quotations  from  the  authentick  writings  of  the 
men  who  administered  baptism,  and  who  certainly  k  »e\v 
in  what  way  they  themselves  performed  it.  There  is 
no  ancient  historical  fact  better  authenticated  than  this. 
The  evidence  doth  not  go  on  the  meaning  of  the  single 
word  naked  ;  for  then  a  reader  might  suspect  allegory  ; 
but  on  many  facts  reported,  and  many  reasons  assigned 
for  the  practice.  One  of  these  facts  is  this.  Chrysos- 
tom  criminates  Theophilus  because  he  had  raised  a  dis- 
turbance without  (3),  which  so  frighted  the  women  in 
the  bapdstery,  who  had  just  stripped  themselves  naked 
in  order  to  be  baptized,  that  they  fled  naked  out  of  the 
room,  without  having  time  to  consult  the  modesty  of 
their  sex.  Another  is  this.  "  Basil  rose  up  with  fear 
and  trembling,  undressed  himself,  putting  off  the  old 
man,  and  went  down  praying  into  the  water,  and  the 
priest  going  down  along  with  him  baptized  him  (4)." 
The  reasons  assigned  for  the  practice  are,  that  cm  is- 
tians  ought  to  put  off  the  old  man  before  they  put 
on  a  profession  of  Christianity ;  that  as  men  came 
naked  into  the  world,  so  they  ought  to  come  naked 
into  the  church,  for  rich  men  could  not  enter  the 
kingdom   of  heaven ;      that    it   was   an    imitation    of 

(3)  Chr5fsostomi  Epist.  ad Innoc.  papavi.  Mulieres,  quje  intra  ecelesiam, 
ut  baptizarentur,  sese  veste  nudaverant,  per  id  tempus  nudse  fugiebant 
neque   sexus  verccundire  pormittebantur  consulese. 

(4)  Amphilochii  Basilii  Mag.  Vita.  Surgeiisque  cum  tremore,  suis  se 
vestibus  spoliat,  unaque  cum  illis  veterem  exuit  hominem,  descendcMsque 
in  aquas,  orabat,  una  autem  etiam  sacerdos  descendit  eumque  baptizavit. 


2JAPTISTERIES    AT    RAVENNA.  95 

Christ,  who  laid  aside  his  glory,  and  made  himself 
of  no  reputation  for  them  ;  and  that  Adam  had  for- 
feited all,  and  Christians  ought  to  profess  to  be  re- 
stored to  the  enjoyment  of  all  only  by  Jesus  Christ. 
That  most  learned  and  accurate  historian,  James  Bas- 
nage,  than  whom  no  man  imderstood  church  history 
better,  says,  When  artists  threw  garments  over  pictures 
of  the  baptized,  they  consulted  the  taste  of  spectators 
more  than  the  truth  of  the  fact (5).  At  the  same  time 
he  observes,  that,  after  all,  it  is  highly  probable,  the  ut- 
most decency  was  preserved,  that  though  the  upper  and 
lower  parts  were  uncovered,  yet  something  was  wrapped 
round  the  niiddle  :  and  it  is  absolutely  certain,  that  wo- 
men weie  baptized  in  a  baptistery  apart  from  that  of  the 
men,  and  that  deaconesses  waited  on  all  the  sex  during 
the  whole  ceremony. 

It  is  further  remarkable,  that  this  representation  at 
Ravenna  is  not  singular  ;  for  most  artists  of  those  an- 
cient times  described  the  baptism  of  Jesus  in  the  same 
maimer.  The  doors  of  the  very  ancient  church  ot  St. 
Paul  in  the  suburbs  of  Rome  are  plated  with  brass  ;  the 
whole  is  divided  into  six  perpendicular  segments  (6). 
Each  segment  is  divided  into  nine  parts,  and  each  part 
contains  one  or  more  figures  relating  to  the  history  of 
Jesus.  It  was  formerly  a  most  elegant  exhibition,  for 
the  artist  had  let  into  the  brass  with  the  graver  fine 
threads  and  filaments  of  silver.  In  the  second  square  of 
the  first  segment  on  the  left  hand  is  the  representation 
of  the  baptism  of  Jesus.  John  is  on  the  bank  with  his 
right  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  Jesus,  who  stands  naked  in 
the  middle  of  the  river,  and  his  clothes  lying  by, While  two 
angels  wait  with  napkins  to  wipe  him  dry.  The  word 
baptism  is  on  the  upper  part  (7).  Much  in  the  same 
manner  he  is  described  in  the  Greek  church.  The 
Greeks  have  a  custom  of  exorcising  and  blessing  water 
on  the  Epiphany,  on  which  day  they  celebrate  a  festival 
in  commemoraiion  of  the  baptism  of  Christ.  In  this 
ceremony  they  divide  the  water  with  a  cross,  on  which 

(5)  Jacobi  Basnagli  Thesaurus  Monument  -  -  in  Canisii  Lectiones.  Tom.  ?. 
Prafat,  Cap  v.    De  imrnersione  et  forma  Baptisnii.  S.  14. 

(6)  Ciumpini  Vet.  Monim.  Tom.  i.  Cap.  iv.  De  vaivis  aneis  ecd.  sice  S. 
PauU. 

(7)  Ad  ChrisU  peds*  ipsiui  vestLmcttt*  c^nuntur,  cum  inscjriptionc— 
SAnilCHC. 


96  OF    THE     BAPTISTERIES    OF    VENICE, 

the  baptism  of  Jesus  naked,  by  the  hand  of  John  attend- 
ed by  angels  as  before,  is  engraven  (h).  On  the  top 
are  the  Greek  words  for — He  cometh  unto  John.  The 
missals  for  the  same  day  are  illuminated  with  figures 
very  much  like  these.  In  all,  Jesus  is  naked,  but  so 
represented  as  to  appear  perfectly  delicate  and  chaste  to 
the  spectator.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  picture  of 
the  baptism  of  St.  Augustine,  which  is  preserved  in  a 
church  at  Milan  (9),  Augustine,  Deodatus,  and  Alyp- 
ius  are  all  three  naked  in  the  water.  One  ancient  mon- 
ument represents  candidates  in  a  sort  of  drawers,  like 
the  highland  fillibeg  ;  and  this  most  likely  ^^as  taken 
from  the  suhUgaculum  of  champions  in  the  Grecian  games, 
for  the  Fathers  often  allude  to  these  games,  when  they 
speak  of  baptism. 


CHAP.  XVI. 

OF    THE    BAPTISTERIES  OF  VENICE,    FLORENCE,    NOVARA, 
AND    MILAN. 

BAPTISTERIES,  properly  so  called,  were  alike  in 
all  places ;  they  were  baths  in  the  ground  for  the  use  of 
men  and  women  :  but  they  differ  very  much  in  their 
coverings,  which  were  more  or  less  spacious,  more  or 
less  elegant,  and  ornamented  according  to  the  condition 
of  the  church  to  which  they  belont^td.  Each  of  the 
four  mentioned  in  the  title  of  this  chapter  hath  some 
peculiarity  worth  examining. 

That  at  Venice  is  remarkable  for  a  curious  piece  of 
mosaick  representing  the  baptism  of  Christ.  1  bt  first 
object  that  strikes  the  eye  of  a  person  walking  in  the 
noble  square  of  St.  Mark,  is  the  patriarchal  church  of 
St.  Mark,  one  of  the  richest  and  most  expensive  in  the 
world,  and  one  of  those  dutiful  daughters,  wiio  continue 
to  acknowledge  their  decrepid  parent,  John  the  Baptist. 
Adjoining  this  superb  palace  is  an  ancici.t  biipiistery, 
which  is  adorned  with  many  figures  of  mosaick  work 
of  great  antiquity  and  beauty  ( l).  Antiquaries,  fnm  a 
careful  examination  of  all  the  symbols,  pronounce  it  the 

(8)  Paciaudi  Ant'iq.     Christ    ii.  6. 

(9)  Josephi  Vicecomitis  Observ.  Eccles.  Tom.  i.  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  10. 
Ifudos  ad  baptistnum  accessisse. 

(1)  Paciaud.    Antiq,  Christian,  Diss,  ii.  Cap,  4. 


FLORENCE,    NOVARA,    AND    MILAN.  97 

work  of  the  eighth  or  ninth  century,  though  the  Vene- 
tian historians  say  it  was  repaired,  and  in  some  parts 
eml)elii.shed  by  the  njagnificeut  Andrew  Dandalo  in  the 
foin-teenth  century.  Turning  from  every  other  orna- 
ment to  that  compartment,  which  represents  the  bap- 
tism of  Jesus,  the  eye  will  be  at  once  feasted  with  the 
beauty,  and  fitigued  with  the  inaccuracy  of  this  precious 
monument  of  antiquity.  In  the  middle  the  river  Jor- 
dan rolls  along,  lashiiig  the  banks  with  its  waves,  and 
gurgling  as  it  goes.  In  the  river  stands  Jesus  naked, 
the  water  nearly  up  to  his  shoulders  (2).  On  the  left 
hand  ba'ik  stands  John  the  Baptist,  a  tali  thin  man,  his 
hair  dibhe veiled,  his  beard  not  long  but  rough,  habited 
in  a  short  shagj^y  skin,  over  which  a  light  claik  is 
thrown,  the  whole  covermg  him  only  to  the  elbows  and  the 
knees.  He  is  leaning  toward  the  river,  his  left  hand 
is  just  seen  behind,  spread  open  and  lifted  up,  and  his 
rigiit  hand  is  on  the  head  ot  Jesus,  as  if  pressing  him 
gently  dovsn  into  the  water,  while  Jesus  seems  to  be 
yielding  to  tlie  water  under  the  hand  of  John  (3).  Be- 
hind John  more  to  the  left  lies  a  double  axe  at  the  foot 
of  a  tree,  an  allusion  probably  to  his  own  words,  M<? 
cixe  is  laid  to  the  root  of  the  trees.  On  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  piece,  on  the  banks  of  Jordan,  over 
against  John,  are  three  angels  with  wings  to  their  should- 
ers, and  garments  down  to  their  feet,  bowing  with  all 
submission  to  Jesus  Christ.  These  were  introduced  no 
doubt  by  the  Catholick  artists  for  a  declaration  of  their 
ou  n  faith,  and  a  reproof  to  the  Arians,  and  they  serve  in 
part  to  deternjine  the  date  of  the  piece  In  the  Arian 
baptistery  at  Ravenna,  Moses  occupies  the  place  which 
is  assigned  to  angels  in  this,  and  John  holds  a  pastoral 
staff  instead  of  a  cross  as  in  the  othci  (l).  Aoove,  the 
heavens  open,  a  star  sparkles,  and  the  dove  descend-  (3). 
In  the  river  the  fish  are  seen  sporting,  and  the  river  g  id 
in  a  human  form  is  regaling  himself  like  a  joyous  youth  in 
a  bath.  By  these  eniblems  the  artist  intended  to  express 
that  the  whole  world,  rivers,  and  animals,  a. id  all  nature, 

(2)  Christum  Dominum  cernis,  qui  fluvio  mereriuir 

(3j  Dexteram  manum  capiti  J-sii  imponit,  qnod  cum  solemni  preca- 
tione  u  ministro  baptismatis  semper  fiictum  ab  ultima  usque  antiquitate 
comperimus 

(4)  Hieron.  Rubei.  MUu  JRavtn.  (5)  Juvenci  Carmlna. 

13 


98  Of    THE    BAPTISTERIES    OF    VENICE, 

rejoiced  at  the  advent  of  Jesus.  At  the  top  of  the  piece 
in  the  left  hand  corner  are  these  words,  the  baptism 
©f  Christ. 

Tne  taste  for  adorning  b^iptisteries  seems  to  have 
originated,  where  all  works  of  refiiiement  have  always 
originated,  in  the  fancies  of  the  ladies.  J<.hn  in  the 
most  ancient  representations  appears  a  rueful  figure, 
having  nothing  but  the  shaggy  skin  of  a  beast,  oi  un- 
wrought  camel's  hair  thrown  loosely  over  his  slioulders, 
and  carelessly  crossing  his  middle  :  but  when  the 
Greeks  associated  him  with  Jesus  ar.d  Mary,  which 
they  did  very  early  m  triptychs,  the  Indies  took  '^htir 
needles,  and  habited  John  like  a  gentleman,  in  comp^my 
with  Jt'sus  and  Mary,  embroideiec  on  the  caps  and 
gowns  of  those  who  officiated.  John  the  patriiirch  of 
Constantinople  had  a  head  dress  of  this  kind.  His  pre- 
decessors had  always  worn  plain  v\hite,  but  he  ch(jst  to 
ornament  his  with  the  images  of  Jesus,  the  virgin  moth- 
er, and  John  the  Baptist,  in  ijold.  There  is  now  among 
other  collections  of  a  similar  kind,  in  the  Vatican  at 
Rome  an  old  stole,  or  long  vest  of  the  most  exquisite 
needle-work  of  various  colours,  mixed  with  gold  thread. 
It  is  embroidered  all  over  with  images  of  saints  :  but  in 
the  upper  part,  near  the  neck,  are  three  small  radiated 
circles.  Jesus  in  the  middle,  Mary  in  the  right,  and 
John  in  the  left.  The  transition  from  the  dress  of  the 
inhabitant  to  the  furniture  of  his  habitation  is  natural. 
Nothing  could  be  more  proper  than  to  cover  the  tables 
in  the  rooms  adjoining  to  the  baptistery.  When  they 
were  in  use  cleanliness  required  it ;  and  at  other  times, 
to  take  off  the  air  of  a  mere  waiefiouse  of  goods,  it 
seemed  expedient  to  furnish  the  tables.  First  came 
frontals  th.it  htmg  down  Ixforc  :  then  dorsals  or  back 
pieces  :  side  pieces  followed  of  course.  Tlie  ladies  by 
the  dexterity  of  their  all-creating  fingers  embroidered 
these,  and  in  squares  and  correspondnig  compartments 
placed  the  saints  as  their  fai.cies  ditected  :  but  uhoev- 
er,  or  whatever  they  were,  John  the  Baptist  was  always 
one.  Several  of  these  old  cl'.ths  are  yet  to  be  seen  at 
Milan,  Venice,  and  many  other  cities.  When  these  ta- 
bles began  to  be  used  to  set  images  on,  it  became  ne- 
cessary to  carry  the  back  cloth  up  higher  against  the 
wall,  and  the  want  of  a  fiiiiih  at  tiie  top,  probably  sug- 


FLORENCE,    NOVARA,    AND    MILAN.  99 

gested  the  idea  of  the  canopy.  From  needle-work, 
which  is  pretty,  to  embossed-work  and  solid  plate, 
which  is  magnificent,  and  displays  substantial  and  exu- 
berant wealth,  the  way  is  natural :  it  actually  took  place, 
and  the  most  elegant  and  costly  of  this  kind  of  modern 
church  ornaments  is  in  the  baptistery  at  Florence.  On 
certain  days  of  the  year  the  CaUiolicks,  to  excite  people 
to  imitate  the  virtues  of  their  predecessors,  set  out  the 
relicks  of  the  saints.  Every  thing  that  can  delight  the 
senses  is  produced  on  these  occasions.  Pictures,  jew- 
els, musick,  vocal  and  instrumental,  illuminations,  in- 
cense, the  first  performers  in  the  finest  habits  conspire  to 
communicate  festivity,  and  to  agg:randize  the  festival. 
The  chief  object  in  this  noble  city  is  what  the  Floren- 
tines call  the  silver  Dessak  of  a  temporary  akar  in  the 
baptistery.  Tliis  is  an  octagon  building,  now  called 
the  church  of  St.  John  Baptist.  It  stands  opposite  the 
cathedral.  It  has  three  brass  gates,  which  were  for- 
merly gilt,  and  on  which  several  scripture- histories  were 
represented.  The  figures  in  basso-relievo  so  struck 
the  famous  Micliael  x\ngelo,  that  he  exclaimed  in  an 
extasy.  These  are  worthy  of  being  the  gates  of  paradise. 
The  baptism  of  Jesus  is  represented  in  marble  over  the 
door.  The  font  is  large,  and  all  the  children  born  of 
Christian  parents  in  Florence  are  baptized  in  it.  There 
is  a  beautiful  statue  of  John  standing  before  it.  John 
himself  lies  all  over  the  catholick  world.  That  finger 
with  which  he  pointed  to  Christ,  when  he  said.  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  is  here.  His  others  are  at  different 
places.  The  knights  of  St.  John  have  his  right  hand, 
with  which  he  baptized  Jesus,  enclosed  in  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  elegant  shrines:  it  is  made  of  solid 
gold,  and  adorned  with  a  profusion  of  jewels.  A  piece 
of  the  stone  on  which  Jesus  stood  when  he  was  baptized, 
is  at  Chiusi  in  Sienna  :  and  there  is  another  at  the  La- 
teran  at  Rome.  This  dessale  was  an  offering  to  John 
the  Baptist  by  the  company  of  merchants.  It  was  be- 
gun in  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty-six.  Artists  of  every 
kind  were  consulted,  no  expense  was  spared,  and  sev- 
eral years  were  allowed  to  finish  the  work.  It  is  divid- 
ed into  seventeen  compartments,  and  each  contains  a 
representation  of  some  part  of  the  life  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist :  his  birth,  his  life  in  the  desert,  his  preaching,  his 


100  OF    THE    BAPTISTERIES    OF    VENICE, 

baptizing,  his  addressing  Herod,  his  imprisonment,  his 
execution,  the  currying  in  of  his  head  to  Herodias,  his 
burial  by  his  disciples  :  his  \\  hole  hi>.to!y  is  exhibited 
in  this  most  rich  and  exquisite  piece  of  workmanship. 
Grand  as  it  is,  most  likely  it  had  its  oriij;iu  in  the  harm- 
less napkin,  with  which  some  neat  sister  Phoebe,  a  ser- 
vant of  the  church,  coveied  the  top  of  the  homely  table 
of  the  baptistery. 

The  baptistery  of  Novara  is  mentioned  for  the  sake 
of  a  singular  opinion  of  original  sin,  v^hich  Lorenzo  the 
bishop  stated  in  a  baptismal  discourse  there.  Loie^zo, 
or  Laurence  L  was  first  bishop  of  Novara,  and  was  after- 
wards elected  to  the  archbishoprick  of  Milan  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sixth  century.  He  died  in  the  reign  of 
Theodorick.  His  homily  on  repentance,  preached 
whilst  he  was  bishop  of  Novara,  seems  to  have  been  a 
preparation  sermon  for  baptism,  or  a  directory  discourse 
immediately  after  it  (6).  The  baptistery,  a  separate 
building,  near  the  church,  yet  remains.  He  begins,  as 
all  preachers  of  his  sentiments  do,  with  Adam,  whose 
fall  polluted  all  his  descendants.  He  proceeds  to  shew- 
how  Jesus  took  away  the  sin  of  the  iDorlcl  by  being  bap- 
tized in  the  river  Jordan.  He  adds,  that  the  old  testa- 
ment saints  had  not  the  ordinance  of  personal  water 
baptism  literally  :  but  they  had  the  benefit  of  Christ's 
baptism  spiritually  ;  and  when  David  said,  ivash  ;«<?, 
and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow,  it  was  as  much  as  to 
say.  Lord,  thou  hast  cleansed  me  from  the  sin  of  my 
father  Adam,  by  taking  his  flesh  on  thyself,  dipping  it 
in  the  font,  and  washing  it  in  the  river.  His  meaning 
is,  that  David  had  two  sorts  of  sin,  original  and  actual, 
that  Jesus  would  take  away,  and  in  effect  had  taken 
away  the  first,  which  he  calls  the  sin  of  the  world,  by- 
washing  human  nature  in  his  baptism,  and  that  actual 
sin  was  taken  away  by  repentance.  His  mysticism,  as 
well  as  his  occasional  mention  of  the  ceremonies  of  bap- 
tism, requires  attention.  He  says  baptism  is  a  sign, 
and  he  asks,  "  What  is  there  in  baptism  except  water, 
chrism,  and  a  white  garment  ?  Christ,  by  being  dipped 
in  Jordan  sanctified  the  waters.  Baptismal  water  is 
water  of  remission.     At  the  font  you  receive  not  a  Jew- 

(6)  S.  Laurentii  Kovariens.  Episc.  Homll.  d«  Panitentia. 


TLORENCE,    NOVARA,    AND    MILAN.  101 

ish  but  an  evaniijelical  sign.  That  clay,  that  hour,  when 
you  come  out  of  the  laver,  you  have  within  yourself  a 
perpetually  running  water,  a  daily  remisfiion.  You 
liav  e  no  need  of  a  teaciier,  none  of  the  right  hand  of  the 
priest.  As  bOon  as  you  come  up  out  of  the  baptistery, 
you  are  clothed  with  a  white  garment,  and  anointed 
with  mystical  ointment.  Three  times  invocation  is 
made  over  you,  the  trine  virtue  comes  upon  you,  and 
your  new  vessel  is  filled  with  this  new  doctrine  -  -  -John 
saith,  1  baptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance,  but  he 
that  comcih  after  me  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy 
Giiost,  and  with  fire.  After  baptism,  do  not  inquire  for 
John,  or  Jordan,  but  be  the  Baptist  to  thyself.  Art 
thou  defiled  after  baptism,  is  thy  heart  vitiated,  thy  mind 
contaminated  ?  Dip  thyself  in  the  waters  of  repentance, 
wasii  thyself  in  abundance  of  tears  :  let  the  fountain  of 
compunction  diffuse  itself  through  every  pore,  let  it  be 
a  living  water  overflowing  every  fibre."  All  this  is 
very  spiritual  ;  however,  the  meaning  is  clear.  Repent- 
ance and  a  teacher  are  necessary  iDefore  baptism,  and 
baptism  is  not  to  be  repeated,  because,  although  a 
christian  may  sin  after  baptism,  yet  as  he  continues 
to  repent,  anabaptism  is  unnecessary.  Probably  the 
good  bishop  meant  this  homily  as  a  preservative  from 
Novatianism,  Donatism,  Arianism,  and  so  on.  More- 
over, the  homily  shews  a  principle  received  by  many 
Christians,  which  accounts  for  the  conduct  of  such  as 
do  not  baptize  infants,  although  they  do  believe  original 
sin.  They  think.  Adam's  sin  cliarged  on  all  his  poster- 
ity was  that,  which  John  the  Baptist  called  the  sin  of  the 
ivorld,  and  which  he  said  Jesus  took  away,  so  that 
neither  infants  nor  adults  are  accountable  for  Adam's 
transgression  ;  of  course,  baptism  is  unnecessary  before 
the  commission  of  actual  sin.  The  trine  invocation, 
and  the  trine  virtue,  mean  trine  immersion,  in  the  name 
of  the  Father  one  invocation,  the  name  of  the  Son  a  sec- 
ond, the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost  a  third. 

Milan  is  mentioned  for  the  sake  of  describing  Ital- 
ian minor- baptism  in  the  twelfth  century.  Having 
some  time  ago  attended  a  baptism  at  Rome,  celebrated 
according  to  the  Roman  ordinal,  it  may  not  be  im- 
proper now  to  attend  one  at  Milan,  performed  accord- 
ing to  the  Ambrosian  ritual.     The  history  of  the  liturgy 


102  OF    THE    BAPTISTERIES    OF    VENICE, 

of  St.  A  mbrose  is  of  very  little  consequence  to  Protest- 
ants. Briefly  it  is  this  (7).  Not  prayers,  but  hymns 
are  the  first  rudiments  of  a  liturgy.  Such  as  could  not 
sing,  said  them,  or  said  the  last  words  by  ways  of  chorus, 
expressive  of  approbation  :  hence  a  high  sound  at  the 
end  of  a  versicle  whence  came  chanting.  As  few  com- 
paratively could  get  copies,  or  retain  the  whole  in  their 
memories,  order  rendered  a  choir  necessary.  Such  ru- 
diments were  at  Milan  before  the  time  of  Ambrose. 
Ambrose  digested  and  enlarged  the  service,  intermixing 
portions  of  scripture  called  lessons,  and  prayers,  and  a 
sort  of  short  homilies,  arranged  and  suited  to  certain 
days.  This  was  very  different  from  the  liturgies  of  the 
Greeks,  Egyptians,  Romans,  Franks,  Mozarabs,  and 
others.  There  was  however  a  general  likeness.  Rome 
endeavoured  to  impose  her  liturgy  on  all  other  churches, 
and  exacted  a  promise  of  all  her  members  to  assist  the 
design.  Pepin  and  Charlemagne  succeeded  among  the 
Franks,  and  they  laid  aside  their  own,  and  received  the 
Roman  ritual  :  but  the  Milanese  opposed  the  attempt, 
and  continued  to  use  that  of  their  own  archbishop  Am- 
brose. This  hath  undergone  many  alterations,  and  re- 
ceived many  additions,  so  that  the  present  office  of  St. 
Ambrose  is  neither  that  of  Ambrose,  nor  that  of  the  mid- 
dle ages.  In  twelve  hundred  and  eighty  it  was  improv- 
ed by  Orrico  Scacabarozio,  an  archpresbyter  of  the  ca- 
thedral church.  In  fourteen  hundred  and  forty,  it  was 
amended  by  archbishop  Francis  Pizzolpasso.  In  the 
same  year  cardinal  Branda  de  Castellio  endeavoured  to 
get  the  Ambrosian  office  abolished  at  Milan  in  favour  of 
the  Roman  :  but  the  Milanese  resisted,  and  the  affair 
was  dropped.  In  sixteen  hundred  and  five  it  was  revised 
again,  and  accommodated  to  modern  use.  The  ordinals, 
which  regulate  the  ceremonial  of  the  liturgy,  like  those 
of  Rome,  keep  continually  veering  about,  retaining  old 
names,  and  accommodating  them  to  new  persons  and 
things.  Thus  the  ancient  deacons  and  deaconesses  of 
Milan  come  gradually  down  to  the  modern  'veg/ones  or 
"cecchioni  and  'veglonissce  of  the  cathedral,  that  is,  to  ten 
old  men  and  as  many  old  women  of  two  orders,  one  of 
which  wash  the  floor,  and  dust  the  house,  and  keep  the 

(7)  Murat.  Antiq.   Ital.    torn.   iv.  DIss.lvii.      De   Ritibus    Ambrosiance 


FLORENCE,    NOVARA,    AND    MILAN.  103 

furniture  clean;  and  the  other  perform  some  slii^ht  part 
of  the  ceremonial  on  certain  days :  both  have  decent 
habits  and  pensions  (8). 

From  a  variety  of  original  manuscripts  of  undoubted 
authenticity,  preserved  in  the  Anibrobi.in  archives,  re- 
ferred to  by  many  writers,  and  published  by  the  incom- 
parable Muratori,  it  appears,  that  in  the  twelfth  century 
(to  go  no  lower)  the  order  of  baptism  stood  thus  (9). 
Oa  the  first  Sunday  in  Lent,  after  the  reading  of  the 
gospel  for  the  da}^  the  deacon  gave  notice,  that  such  as 
thought  proper  might  give  in  their  names  for  baptisin  ( t). 
The  Saturday  following,  after  mass,  the  doors  were  shut, 
and  the  children  to  be  baptized  arranged  themselves 
without,  the  boys  at  one  door,  the  girls  at  another.  One 
deacon,  and  two  sub-deacons  went  to  the  door,  where 
the  boys  stood.  The  deacon  remained  within  ;  the  sub- 
deacons  went  out,  and  stood  on  the  outside  of  the  thresh- 
old, and  the  ceremony  proceeded  thus.  Deacon  :  What 
do  they  require  ?  Sub-deacon :  Faith.  D.  Do  they  re- 
nounce the  devil  and  all  his  works?  S.  They  do  re- 
nounce them.  D.  Observe  well  what  you  say,  that  youL 
may  never  depart  from  it.  S.  We  will  be  mindful  of  it. 
Then  they  went  to  the  door,  where  the  girls  stood,  and 
repeated  the  same  ceremony  :  after  which,  all,  boys 
and  girls,  entered  the  church,  went  to  the  place  where 
chrism  was  kept,  and  were  exorcised,  crossed,  and 
anointed,  and  so  on.  While  prayers  were  saying,  and 
lessons  reading,  the  acolothysts  informed  the  little  flock 
v/hen  to  lift  up,  or  bow  their  heads,  when  to  kneel,  and 
what  to  do.  The  next  day,  Sunday,  they  went  again, 
and  so  on  every  Saturday  all  Lent,  and  some  Sundays. 
There  was  a  service  for  each  day,  and  the  whole  was 
called  the  scrutiny.  The  two  most  remarkable  ser- 
vices were,  the  delivery  of  the  creed,  and  the  catechiz- 
ing- 

The  delivery  of  the  creed  was  performed  in  this 
manner.  On  one  of  the  days  of  scrutiny,  after  mass, 
the  bells  were  all  rung,  and  the  doors  all  hhut,  the  people 
however  keeping  their  places.  A  deacon  cried  with 
a  loud  voice :  If  any   catechumen  be  present,  let  him 

(8)  Murat.  torn.  iv.  Diss.  Ivil. 

(9)  Antirj  Ital-  torn.  iv.  Diss.  Ivii.  De  Rinhus  Ambrosian<E  ecclesix. 

(1)  Mctnuaiix  dc  singulis  deminieis  sen  fsitfuitatidus  in  cireuitu  anni.  Mttrat> 


404  OF    THE    BAPTISTERIES    OF    VENICE, 

depart.  If  any  pagan  be  here,  let  him  depart.  If 
any  heretick  be  here,  let  him  depart.  If  any  Jew  be  , 
here,  let  him  depart.  If  any  one  have  no  business  here, 
let  him  depart.  Tlie  catechumens  but  no  others  went  j 
out.  Then  a  verse  was  sung :  Come,  ye  children,  \ 
and  I  %mll  teach  you  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  Then  the 
archbishop  retired  to  change  his  habits,  as  others  of  the 
clergy  did,  and  when  the  latter  were  ready,  they  went 
together  to  the  archbishop,  and  asked  leave  to  admit 
the  children,  which  being  granted,  they  proceeded 
with  great  ceremony  to  the  door,  and  on  opening  it 
said,  Enter,  children,  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.  At- 
tend to  your  father  teaching  you  the  'i\)ay  of  ivisdoin. 
Then,  the  children  being  properly  arranged,  the  arch- 
bishop from  his  stall,  said,  Cross  your sehes,  and  hear 
the  creed :  I  beheDe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  and 
so  on,  the  whole  being  chanted,  ver^icle  by  versicle, 
and  the  acoiothys^ts  frequently  admcjnishing  the  women 
to  cross  the  children,  that  is,  such  of  them  as  could 
not  cross  themselves.  Several  services  foUoxyed,  and 
the  catechumens  were  dismissed. 

In  all  processions  during  the  scrutiny,  the  master  of 
the  ceremonies  used  to  carry  in  his  hand  a  hazel  wand, 
or  more  properly,  a  branch  of  hazel  with  its  leaves  ; 
•and  the  tables,  as  they  were  called.  These  were  of 
bone  or  ivory,  in  form  of  the  leaves  of  a  mass  book, 
and  like  them  representing  various  actions  of  the  life 
of  Christ,  which  were  depicted,  and  explained  by  sev- 
eral Greek  letters,  labels,  or  words.  These  were  giv- 
en the  children  to  kiss,  as  they  went  in  procession 
from  place  to  place,  or  as  they  perlormed  their  devo- 
tions in  the  church.  This  custom  continued  at  iMilan 
till  the  year  sixteen  hundred  and  thirty. three.  Beiore 
the  reformation  it  was  common  in  all  caiholick 
churches  ;  the  ivory  leaf  was  called  the  pax,  and  in 
England  it  was  latterly  given  the  people  to  kiss  at 
the  end  of  the  mass.  The  whole  proceeded  from  the 
primitive  kiss  of  charity,  and  the  compliment  append- 
ing to  it  :  peace  be  ivith  you. 

All  things  having  been  prepared,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  holy  Saturday  the  service  began,  and  proceeded 
with  lessons,  h\mns,  psahns,  bei-tdictions,  and  so  on, 
till  the  time  of   baptizing  arrived.     Alter  the  choir 


FLORENCE,    NOVARA,    AND    MILAN.  105 

had  chanted  the  psahn  ;  Like  as  the  hart  doth  pant 
mid  bray,  the  %uell  springs  to  obtain,  and  the  rest,  and  a 
short  collect,  the  archbishop  put  on  his  sacred  vest- 
ments, the  deacons  their  dalmaticks,  the  sub-deacons 
their  surplices,  some  of  the  proper  officers  took  their 
censers  with  incense  burnint^,  others  waK  torches  and 
tapers  lighted,  and  the  procession  set  forward  to  go 
from  the  cathedral  to  the  baptistery,  where  the  catechu- 
mens were  in  waiting.  First  went  a  sub-deacon  with  a 
lighted  lan\p,  to  light  up  the  baptistery,  then  followed 
others  with  lights,  then  came  the  children  of  the  choir 
with  the  master,  singing.  Up,  Lord,  why  sleepest  thou? 
and  so  on.  The  officiating  clergy  followed,  intermixed 
with  sub-deacons  carrying  lights,  and  incense  :  and  last 
came  the  archbishop.  When  the  procession  arrived  at 
the  baptismal  church,  as  soon  as  the  archbishop  drew 
near  the  door,  it  halted ;  and,  before  he  entered,  he  put 
off  his  ornamented  habits,  and  put  on  the  baptismal 
palliament ;  girded  himself  with  a  towel,  the  knot  being 
on  the  left  side  and  hanging  down  like  a  sword  ;  fastened 
his  sandals  behind,  the  ties  being  over  the  heels  like 
spurs  (a  metnorial  that  former  bishops  had  gone  into  the 
water  to  baptize,  though  his  circumstances  would  not 
permit  him  to  do  so)  ;  and  put  a  mitre  on  his  head  to 
signify  who  was  king  and  pontiff.  Then  the  procession 
set  forward  again,  the  choir  singing,  and  the  archbishop 
walking  in  his  new  dress  to  the  baptistery.  The  bap- 
■  tismal  church  was  illuminated  with  wax  lights,  and 
over  the  baptistery  hung  twelve  glass  lamps  lighted. 
After  the  benediction  of  the  water,  the  archbishop  plac- 
ed himself  at  the  head  of  the  baptistery  without  side, 
and  two  cardinals  went  into  the  water.  Three  officers 
then  went  among  the  catechumens,  and  inquired  for 
three  boys,  one  to  be  named  Peter,  another  Paul,  and  a 
third  John.  Having  found  them,  they  were  conducted 
to  the  cardinals.  The  archbishop  asked  them  :  What 
they  desired  ?  They  answered  :  To  be  baptized.  He 
asked  again  :  Do  yon  believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty, 
Maker  of  heaven  and  earth  ?  They  answered  :  IVe  do 
beliei)e.  And  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  Son,  our  Lord, 
ivho  %vas  born  and  suffered  death  ?  IVc  do  belicn^c.  Do 
you  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  holy  catholick  church, 
the  communion  of  saints,  the  forgi^etiess  of  sins,  the  resur- 
14 


106  OF    THE    BAPTISTERIES    Or    VENICE,  &C. 

rection  of  the  body,  and  life  eternal  ?  We  do  believe. 
Then  the  archbishop  said  to  the  cardinals.  Baptize 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Oiie  of  the  cardinals  said,  Peter,  I 
baptize  thee,  dipping  him  once,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father  [s):  /7;zr/ dipping  him  a  second  time,  in  the 
name  of  the  Son:  «w/ dipping;  him  a  third  time,  in  the 
name  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen  Then  the  archbishop 
knelt  down;  the  cardinals  delivered  the  three  bo}s  to 
their  parents,  and  they  g.we  them  to  officers,  who  con- 
ducted them  to  the  archbishop,  who  rose  from  kneelinj^, 
and  anointed  tiKir  foreheads  with  crism  in  the  form  of  a 
cross.  Two  officers  then  stijod  prepared,  one  with  a 
vase. of  water,  the  other  with  a  napkin,  and  the  arch- 
bishop washed  the  feet  of  the  three  b  )ys,  and  wiped 
them,  and  kissed  them,  ai^d  put  a  chrismal  cap  on  the 
Iiead  of  each.  Instantly,  all  the  bells  set  a  ringing,  and 
the  company  divided  ;  the  cardinals  proceediiig  to  bap- 
tize, and  the  archbishop  mounting  his  horse,  and  going 
to  the  church  of  St.  Ambrose  to  celebrate  mass  ia 
honour  of  him  ;  for  it  happened,  that  Ambrose  died  on  a 
holy  Saturday,  and  the  two  services  clashing,  the  arch- 
bishop could  not  go  into  the  water  to  baptize,  as  former 
archbishops  had  done.  After  the  mass  of  St.  Ambrose 
vi^as  over,  the  archbishop  went  back  to  the  baptistery, 
where  the  cardinals  having  done  baptizing,  and  having 
washed  themselves  in  a  warm  bath  prepared  for  them  at 
coming  out  of  the  water,  waited  to  proceed  to  the 
remainder  of  the  service,  which  consisted  of  lessons, 
hymns,  prayers,  and  so  on.  After  all,  six  of  the  offi- 
cials dined  with  the  archbishop.  It  was  a  perquisite  to 
one  who  carried  the  golden  cross  in  the  procession  :  to 
the  two,  who  handed  water  and  a  napkin  to  the  prelate 
to  wipe  the  feet  of  the  boys  :  and  to  the  three  who  con- 
ducted Peter,  Paul,  and  John,  to  the  cardinals.  Thus 
after  a  scrutiny,  by  trine  immersion,  was  baptism  admin- 
istered, by  the  Catholicks  in  Italy,  in  the  twelfth  centu- 
ry. So  very  difficult  was  it  to  accommodate  an  insti- 
tution for  men  to  the  practice  of  babes,  that  the  latter 
stole  in  by  slow  and  wary  steps,  first  a  few,  then  a  few 

(2)  Et  statim  arclilepiscopiis  subjungit  dicens:  BapCtzate  eos  --  Et  statjm 
baptizant,  dicendo  nomina  eorum  :  baptize  te,  priina  mersw  ;  in  nomine 
patris  :  secunda  mersio  ;  et  filii  :  tenia  mersio  ;  et  spiritus  sanclus.  Amen. 


OF    PICTURES    OF    BAPTISM.  107 

more,  and  so  on,  till  tliey  became  the  inajorit) ,  and 
outed  the  old  possessors  ;  for  it  is  evident  that  both  the 
ordinals,  the  Ambrosian  and  the  Roman,  were  compos- 
ed tor  minors  and  not  for  babes. 


CHAP.  XVII. 

OF    PICTURKS    OF    BAPTISM. 

WALAFRID  STRAQO,  who  flourished  in  the  latter 
end  of  the  ninth  century,  supposed,  that  many  iidd 
been  formerly  baptized  by  pouring,  and  that  therefore 
baptism  might  then  be  so  administered  (1).  He*  col- 
lected this  not  from  the  practice  of  the  times  in  which 
he  lived,  which  was  that  of  dipping,  but  from  a  book 
called  the  Acts  of  St.  Laurence,  in  which  it  was  said 
that  Laurence  had  baptized  n\)o  persons,  Romanus  and 
Lucillus,  by  pouring.  Hence,  being  a  just  reasoner, 
he  inferred,  that  not  only  many  had  been  so  baptized, 
but  that  any  body  might  be  so  baptized  in  future  in  case 
of  necessity,  as  when  the  size  of  a  man  was  so  great  as 
to  render  a  baptistery  inconvenient,  pouring  might  sup- 
ply the  place  of  dipping,  and  yet  the  picture  did  )tot 
shew  two  men  in  any  case  of  necessity.  It  is  to  be 
observed,  adds  he,  that  in  the  first  ages  baptism  was 
administered  only  to  persons  of  mature  age,  who  were 
capable  of  understanding  the  benefit  of  baptism,  the 
articles  of  faith,  the  baptismal  confession,  and  the  obli- 
gations of  such  as  were  born  again.  He  goes  on  :o 
remark,  that  since  original  sin  had  beep  poi -ted 
out  by  Augustine,  people  had  believed  infants  dving 
unbaptized  would  be  eternally  lost ;  and  therefore  to 
prevent  such  a  misfortune,  the  priests  had  bciptized 
them,  contrary  to  the  opinions  of  hereticks,  enemies  to 
the  grace  of  God,  who  coniended,  that  children  ought 
not  to  be  baptized,  because  they  had  not  sinned.  The 
latter  remarks  are  true  :  but  the  former  about  St.  Lau- 
rence are  not  so.  Father  Mabillon,  and  James  bas- 
nagc,  have  set  the  matter  in  a  clear  light,  and  the 
fact  is  this  (2).     In  the  church  of  St.  Laurence  at  Roiic 

(1)  He  Rebus  Gest'ii.  Cap.  xxvi. 

(2)  Joiiii    Mabillon  Iter  Ital. Jac.  Basnag'U  Prcefat  in  lection.  Canisii. 

Cup.  V.  De  Immersione  Super  Ronianum  el.iindeb'o  aquam  LatireTavis, 
secuiKlum  morem  Graecorum  qui  prsever  trinain  immersionem  aqnam  ca- 
pitibiis  baptizatorum  siiperfundunt. 


108  or     PICTUIIES    Of    BAPTISM. 

part  of  the  life  of  the  saint  is  depicted.  Romanus  is 
represented  naked,  as  having  been  just  immersed. 
Laurence  is  pouring  water  out  of  a  vessel  upon  him, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  Greeks,  who  beside 
trine  immersion  poured  water  upon  the  heads  of  the 
baptized.  The  picture  is  taken  from,  the  book  of  the 
acts  of  St.  Laurence.  The  book  is  either  wholly  spu- 
rious, or  extremely  corrupted.  Nor  is  it  likely  that 
Laurence,  a  deacon  of  Rome,  should  practise  a  custom 
of  the  Greeks  :  or  that  the  Greeks,  who  were  aU 
ways  exceedingly  attached  to  immersion,  did  practise 
superfusion  in  the  time  of  Laurence  :  and  if  the  whole 
account  of  Laurence  were  true,  (and  it  is  not  supported 
by  any  ancient  testimony)  such  a  baptism  was  contrary 
to  the  laws  and  usages  ol  the  church,  and  therefore  it 
would  not  prove  that  the  fathers  departed  from  the  prac- 
tice of  immersion.  These  are  the  reflections  of  the 
learned  and  faithful  Basnage  (3). 

There  is  an  article  in  the  primitive  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory of  Italy,  which  may  not  improperly  be  inserted 
here,  because  it  proves  at  once  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
iounders  of  Catholick  churches,  and  accounts  for  one 
grand  source  of  error,  the  works  of  artists,  in  a  very 
just  and  ingenious   manner. 

All  Italian  ecclesiastical  historians  inform  their  read- 
ers that  during  the  first  three  hundred  and  fifty  years 
of  the  Christian  era,  the  bishops  of  Ravenna  were  elect- 
ed in  the  following  manner.  On  the  demise  of  any 
one,  the  clergy  and  people  assembled,  and  prayed  God 
to  shew  whom  he  would  have  them  choose  for  a  suc- 
cessor. In  answer  to  this  prayer,  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
form  of  a  dove  descended,  and  distinguished  the  man, 
who  was  immediately  after  duly  elected,  and  invested 
with  the  ensigns  of  his  office.  The  window  at  which 
the  sacred  dove  entered  is  yet  shewn.  In  the  middle 
of  the  fourth  century,  on  the  demise  of  Agapetus  II. 
the  clergy  and  the  people  assembled  as  usual  to  elect 
an  archbishop  (4).  Opposite  the  church  li\ed  a  poor 
wool-comber  named  Severus.  The  procession  awoke 
his  curiosity,  he  took  his  hands  out  of  the  suds,  left  oft' 
washing  his  wool,  and  throwing  his  old   cloak  over  his 

(3)  Nescio  tamen  an  fides  habenda  vel  imaginibus,  vel  etiara  actis  Lau- 
rent ii,  Ac. 

(4)  UghelU  Ital.  Sac.  Tom.  ii. 


OF    PICTURES    OF    BAPTISM.  lUS' 

shoulders,  out  he  ran  to  see  the  miracle  of  the  dove. 
His  v,ife,  Vincentia,  ran  after  him,  and  overtook  him. 
She  reproved  him  for  his  vain  curiosity,  and  told  him 
he  would  be  much  more  in  the  way  of  his  duty,  it  he 
would  return  to  his  work,  and  earn  somethint^  for  the 
support  of  his  poor  family.  Severus  was  not  a  gen- 
uine son  of  Adam,  he  would  not  listen  to  his  Eve :  he 
would  go,  that  he  would.  Go  along  then,  exclaimed 
she,  perhaps  you  will  be  chosen  archbishop  of  Ravenna. 
When  he  got  into  the  church,  the  grandeur  of  the  place 
and  the  dresses  of  the  company  sa  him  a  loohing  on 
his  own  vile  cloak  and  the  rest  of  his  tatters,  and  he 
crept  into  a  blind  corner.  The  priests  said  mass,  and 
implored  the  divine  token,  and  the  eyes  of  all  were 
fixed  on  the  window  in  the  roof.  At  length  the  holy 
dove  appeared,  sitting  on  the  cell,  and  surveying  die 
vast  assembly  below.  A  while  the  people  prayed,  and 
the  dove  sat  still  :  but  at  length,  taking  wing,  down  he 
flew  to  the  corner  where  Severus  hirked,  andiiying  round 
and  round  him,  seemed  as  if  he  would  peck  his  ears. 
The  man  was  frighted,  and  would  have  driven  him 
away:  but  the  dove  returned  to  the  charge,  and  kept 
hovering  round  him.  The  priests  and  the  people  ad- 
vised him  not  to  resist,  but  to  be  still  and  see  what  the 
dove  meant  to  do.  In  brief,  he  alighted,  and  perched 
awhile  on  his  ear,  and  then  flew  away  through  the  win- 
dow to  heaven.  The  assembly  was  astonished  :  but 
believing  God  the  Holy  Spirit  had  nominated  the  wool- 
comber  archbishop  of  Ravenna,  they  elected  him,  took 
off  his  rags,  clothed  him  in  prelatical  robes,  conducted 
him  to  the  archiepiscopal  throne,  and  hailed  him  Lord 
Archbishop  of  Ravenna.  When  he  ascended  the  ros- 
trum to  address  the  people,  all  perceived  he  had  been 
divinely  elected,  for  his  fluent  eloquence  convinced  them 
that  he  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  His  future  life 
was  exemplary,  and  after  his  death  miracles  wrought 
at  his  tomb  were  numerous  ;  a  church  was  erected  over 
his  grave,  and  he  is  worshipped  as  a  saint  to  this  day. 
Among  other  endowments,  he  had  the  gift  of  prophecy, 
and  he  foretold  the  people  of  Ravenna,  that  in  the  future 
elections  they  need  not  wait  f  u*  the  dove,  for  he  would 
appear  no  more.  A  prophecy  amply  fulfilled  ;  for  the 
white  pigeon  hath  not  been  seen  at  Ravenna  at  the  elec- 
tion of  any  archbishop  from  that  day  to  this. 


110  OF    PICTUKE&    or    BAPTISM. 

The  reflections  of  the  learned  and  judicious  Muratori 
on  the  descent  of  the  dove,  are  both  ingenious  and  just. 
He  says  :  "  It  is  generally  believed  at  Ravenna  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  form  of  a  dove  indicated  to  the  clergy 
and  people  whom  they  should  elect  for  their  first  twelve 
bishops  (5).  I  am  not  inclined  to  deprive  them  of  this 
persuasion.  However,  I  cannot  help  suspecting  that 
the  prevalence  of  such  an  opinion  was  owing  to  some 
ancient  picture  misunderstood.  As  the  election  of 
bishops  was  formerly  made  by  the  clergy  and  people, 
and  as  it  was  supposed,  very  truly,  that  the  secret 
working  of  the  Holy  Ghost  intluenced  the  minds  of  the 
electors,  particularly  when  the  persons  elected  were 
men  of  eminent  piety,  so  painters,  to  display  this  invisi- 
ble work  by  a  visible  sign,  painted,  to  represent  the  holy 
Spirit,  a  dove  over  the  heads  of  the  bishops  so  elected. 
It  might  happen  that  the  ignorant  vulgarity  of  after  ages 
might  take  the  emblem  for  a  history  of  a  fact.  In  like 
manner,  when  they  see  the  pictures  of  martyrs  who  had 
been  beheaded,  standing  and  holding  their  heads  in 
their  hands,  they  instantly  imagine  a  prodigy,  and  sup- 
pose they  survived  their  martyrdom,  when  the  painter 
meant  nothing  more  than  that  such  martyrs  suffered  death 
by  being  beheaded  for  their  profession  of  Christianity. 
There  are  hundreds  of  such  errors,  which  originated  in 
the  licentiousness  of  artists.  Let  the  people  of  Ravenna 
contend  as  earnestly  as  they  please  for  their  tradition  : 
and  let  me  also  be  allowed  in  this  place  to  express  my 
doubts." 

A  Protestant  cannot  help  observing,  that  either  this 
tale  is  an  absolute  forgery,  or  a  misrepresented  fact ; 
and  in  both  cases  it  is  a  proof  of  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
first  Catholicks  at  Ravenna.  If  it  be  a  forgery,  the 
forgers  were  sharpers,  and  the  people  were  dupes  to 
their  own  enthusiasm.  If  it  be  a  fact  misrepresented, 
•when  the  misrepresentation  ib  laid  aside,  the  fact  in  tue 
case  of  Severus  was  this.  When  the  chief  of  the  city 
was  Pagan,  one  congregation  of  Christians  at  Ravenna 
first  imagined  themselves  inspired  to  choose  a  wool- 
comber  for  their  teacher,  and  then  of  course  he  and 
they  supposed  him  inspired  to  guide  them,  and  to  de- 
spise,   discountenance   and  oppress   others,    who   were 

(5)  Rer.  ltd.  Script.  Tom.  par.  ii.  prxfat,  in  Spicikg.    Havennatis  hist. 


OF    PICTURES    OF    BAPTISM,  111 

not  inspired.  Nothing  is  more  likely  to  be  true  than 
this  ;  for  as  this  inspiration  is  the  very  essence  of  Popery, 
so  in  all  countries  it  hath  erected  its  throne  among  the 
least  rational  of  the  human  species.  Muratori  as  a  man 
of  learning  and  sense  disliked  the  representation,  but  as 
a  Catholick,  he  was  obliged  to  admit  the  fact  :  for  all 
such  men  as  he  thoroughly  understand,  that  if  once  ex- 
traordinary influence  were  disowned,  reason  would  suc- 
ceed to  the  office  of  faith,  and  the  whole  system  would 
lall  into  one  general  ruin.  How  much  do  learned  men 
deserve  pity  when  they  are  compelled  by  law  to  make 
sense  of  vulgar  errors,  and  to  expound  for  theology  the 
dreams  of  the  dregs  of  the  people  ! 

By  a  very  natural  train  of  metamorphoses,  after  sim- 
ple facts  come  emblems  to  represent  them  by  artists, 
then  these  emblems  become  patterns  of  actions,  and  in 
the  end  the  fact  is  lost,  and  the  shadow  of  a  shade  sup- 
plies its  place.  The  illustrious  antiquary  Bishop  An- 
drew ab  Aquino  observed  some  singular  representations 
of  baptism  on  a  tomb  at  Chiaia,  a  villa  near  Naples, 
belonging  to  his  relation,  Prince  Caramanici  (6).  He 
ordered  drafts  to  be  taken  of  two,  and  sent  them  to 
Rome  to  the  celebrated  Ciampini,  who  shewed  them  to 
Fabretti  and  Mabillon.  The  three  connoisseurs  sup- 
posed them  representations  of  baptism  by  immersion 
and  superfusion,  or  pouring  water  all  over,  administered 
by  a  layman.  In  one  there  are  eleven  human  figures, 
some  appear  to  be  intended  for  Romans  because  they 
are  clean  shaven,  others  Greeks  or  Lombards  because 
they  have  long  beards.  In  the  middle  stan^ls  a  large 
labrum,  and  in  it  a  prince  and  princess  are  kneeling, 
iDoth  naked  except  the  coronets  on  their  heads.  The 
water  is  supposed  to  rise  above  the  waist,  while  a  Ro- 
man in  a  lay  habit  is  standing  and  pouring  water  plenti- 
lully  out  of  a  pitcher  upon  the  head  of  the  prince, 
who  lifts  up  his  hands  as  if  in  prayer,  and  M'ho  by  his 
beard  should  be  either  a  Greek  or  a  Lombard.  In  the 
other  there  is  the  same  number  of  persons.  A  laver  of 
another  form  stands  by.  Four  are  kneeling  on  the 
ground,  three  clothed,  and  praying  ;  the  fourth  naked 
except  a  loose  covering  round  the  middle  ;  one  pouring 
water  on  the  head  of  the  naked  person  out  of  a  pitcher, 

(6)  Joan.  Mabillon.    Iter  Italicum  An.  1685, 


112  OF    PICTURES    OF    BAPTISM. 

and  the  rest  waitino^  with  habits  to  put  upon  the  newly 
baptize d,  when  the  ceremony  is  over.  Father  Mdbillon 
observes  that  these  resemble  that  of  the  baptism  ot  Ho- 
manns  by  St.  Laurence  at  Rome,  and  that  they  are  in- 
tended either  to  exhibit  a  Greek  baptism,  where  beside 
trine  immersion  superiusion  is  practised,  or  a  baptism 
vhere  the  la\er  was  loo  small,  and  where  the  bt)d\  \>as 
immersed  in  the  lav er,  ard  the, head  vva-.  inmitrsed  by 
superfusion.  When  Stiabo  reasoned  from  such  a  pic- 
tuic  for  the  validity  of  baptizing  by  pouring,  he  resem- 
bled the  reasotiers  at  Ravenna  about  th^  ir  dove,  in  the 
opinion  of  three  of  the  most  leariied  antiquaries  that 
ever  lived,  who  saw  and  exanuntd  v\hat  buabo  never 
did  see,  both  the  church  of  St.  Laurence  and  the 
drafts  of  the  sepulchre  near  Naples,  and  who  were  not 
only  celebrated  antiquaries,  but  also  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  ecclesiaistical  history,  and  who  could  not 
be  under  any  bias  to  mislead,  all  are  representations  of 
baptism  by  immersion,  and  perhaps  of  a  mode  of  im- 
mersing, which  was  never  [practised,  and  was  intended 
by  the  artists  only  as  emblematical  of  a  ceremony  in 
which  persons  were  stripped  naked,  and  covered  all 
over  with  water.  The  conjecture  of  Strabo  founded  on 
an  ill  written  book  doth  not  deserve  a  moment's  atten- 
tion, in  opposition  to  the  united  opinion  of  Fabretti, 
Cian)pini,  and  Mabillon. 

.  Every  thing  had  a  beginning,  and  there  must  have 
been  a  first  artist,  who  introduced  emblems  of  baptism. 
He  thought,  no  doubt,  he  should  give  a  just  notion  of 
immersioi',  (for  he  could  mean  no  other,  as  no  other 
was  in  practice)  by  placing  the  lower  part  of  a  person 
in  water,  either  in  a  river  or  a  bath,  and  by  shewing 
another  person  pouring  water  over  the  upper  part  out  of 
the  water  ;  for  what  could  he  mean,  except  that  to  bap- 
tize was  to  wet  all  over,  to  cover  the  whole  man  with 
water  ?  This  rude  emblem  has  been  taken  for  true 
history,  and  baptism  has  been  supposed  to  be  rightly 
administered  by  pouring,  though  they  who  plead  for 
this  never  practise  it,  and  though  there  is  no  proof  that 
any  ancient  church  ever  baptized  in  this  manner,  and 
though  if  it  were  performed  according  to  the  emblem,  a 
person  would  be,  though  in  the  most  unpleasant  way  in 
the  world,  drenched  in  water.     When  accidents  have 


OF    PICTURES    OF    BAPTISM.  113 

put  a  Greek  priest  on  this  expedient,  he  has,  not  im- 
properly, accounted  it  immersion  ;  but  such  modes  were 
never  allowed  by  law,  and  the  occasional  inventions  of 
individuals  ought  not  to  pass  for  either  the  custom  or 
the  law  of  any  church  (7).  Nor  let  any  one  mistake 
this  emblem  for  a  description  of  the  capitulavium  of 
some  late  Roman  Catholicks.  The  pictures  intended 
are  of  too  early  date,  and  were  in  being  long  before  this 
ceremony  was  heard  of.  Isidore,  bishop  of  Seville  in 
Spain,  in  the  sixth  century  (8),  and  H.  Rabanns  Manrus, 
(so  the  manuscripts  write  his  name)  archbishop  of 
Mentz  in  the  eighth  (9),  both  say,  that  on  Palm-Sunday 
the  heads  of  catechumens  were  washed  from  dirt  con- 
tracted in  Lent  preparatory  to  their  receiving  the  holy 
unction  at  their  Easter-baptism,  and  they  add,  the  com- 
mon people  from  this  circumstance  called  Palm-Sunday 
Capitulavium,  or  Head  Washing  Sunday  :  but  ancient 
Greek  and  Roman  artists  could  know  nothing  of  this, 
and  the  baptism  of  pouring,  a  njere  vulgar  error,  may- 
rank  with  the  white  pigeon  of  Ravenna.  This  error, 
however,  hath  been  taken  for  true  history  by  adminis- 
trators of  baptism  both  before  and  since  the  reformation  ; 
and  baptism  hath  been  administered  both  by  Catholicks 
and  Protestants  in  this  manner,  with  this  difference, 
Catholicks  did  it  only  in  cases  of  necessity  when  some 
impediment  lay  in  the  way  of  dipping,  but  Protestants 
by  choice,  under  pretence  of  the  sufficiency  of  it. 

There  are  many  representations  of  baptism  in  old 
church  windows,  and  all  in  favour  of  immersion.  In 
Canterbury  cathedral,  the  union  of  baptism  and  Noah's 
flood  ;  the  drowning  of  Pharaoh  and  the  passage  of  the 
Israelites  through  the  red  sea  ;  the  cleansing  of  a  leper, 
the  dipping  of  Naaman,  apostolical  baptism,  the  pool  of 
Bethesda,  and  Peter's  sheet,  all  explained  ot  ordinary 
baptism  by  ancient  monkish  verses,  clearly  speak  the 
sense  of  the  designers. 

(7)  Goar.  Eucholog.  Lutet.  Paris.  1647.  /».  365.     In  baptismatis  ojicium 
■notce.  24. 

(8)  De  Eccles.  Officiis.     Lib.  i.  Cap.  27.     Be  die  palmartim. 

(9)  Be  Ir.stitut.  Cleric.    Li.b.  ii.  Cap.  35.    JDe  die  palmar. 

15 


114  ,  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

CHAP.  XVIIL 

OF    BAPTISMAL     FONTS. 

FONS  is  a  fount,  or  spring,  and  by  a  very  natural 
transition,  it  is  frequently  put  for  the  stream,  nn^fontes 
for  streams,  rills,  rivulets,  brooks,  running  waters. 
Buildings  erected  near  such  places  took  their  names 
from  thern,  as  persons  did  from  the  names  of  the  build- 
ings. Thurstan,  archbishop  of  York,  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury, founded  a  monastery  near  Rippon  in  Yorkshire,  and 
named  it  Jontes,  or  mojiasterium  dejomibus :  and  in  the 
thirteenth  century  the  abbot  of  the  house  John  defoji- 
tikis  was  bishop  of  Ely  (i).  It  was  for  a  similar  reason 
that  baptisteries  and  baptismal  churches,  vAhich  were 
usually  dedicated  to  John  the  Baptist,  were  called  St.  John 
adfontes.  A  Saint  John  adfontes  was  a  sacred  edifice, 
in  which  there  was  one  baptistery  or  more,  supplied  by 
running  w^ater.  The  building  was  fiequently  called  ad 
fontes,  or  simply  fontes,  and  so  by  degrees  the  bath 
itself  obtained  the  name  oi  ajunt.  When  the  baptism 
of  infants  became  an  established  custom,  it  was  unne- 
cessary for  the  administrators  to  go  into  the  water,  and 
they  contrived  cisterns  which  they  called  fonts»  in 
which  they  dipped  the  children  without  going  into  the 
water  themselves.  In  the  first  baptisteries,  both  admin- 
istrators and  candidates  went  down  steps  into  the  bath. 
In  after  ages  the  administrators  went  up  steps  to  a  plat- 
form, on  which  stood  a  small  bath  which  they  called  a 
font,  into  which  they  plunged  children  without  going 
into  water  themselves.  In  modern  practice,  the  font 
remains,  but  a  bason  of  water  set  into  the  font  serves 
the  purpose,  because  it  is  not  now  supposed  necessary 
either  that  the  administrator  should  go  into  the  water, 
or  that  the  candidate  should  be  inmnersed. 

This  in  England  was  custom,  not  lav/,  for  in  the  time 
of  Queen  Elizabeth  the  governors  of  the  episcopal 
churcii  in  effect  exi)ressly  prohibited  sprinkliiig  b}  lor- 
bidding  the  use  of  basons  in  publick  bajitibm.  ''Last 
of  all  [the  church-wardens]  shall  see,  thdt  in  every 
church  there  be  a  holy  founte,  not  a  bason,  wherein  bap- 
tism may  be  ministered,  and   it  be  kept    comely   and 

(1)  Lelandi  Collectanea.  Ex  libra  incerti  auctoris  de  episcobis  £bor 
Vol.  ii.  p.  338.    A.  D.  1132. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  115 

clean  (2).'*  *'  Item,  that  the  font  be  not  removed,  nor 
that  the  curate  do  baptize  ifi  parish  churches  in  any  ba- 
sons, nor  in  any  other  form  than  is  already  prescribed,  &:c. 
(3)."  SprinkUn^,  therefore,  was  not  allowed,  except, 
as  in  the  church  of  Rome,  in  cases  of  necessity  at  home 
where  a  child  born  after  one  Sunday  or  festival  was  not 
like  to  live  till  the  next. 

That  all  fonts,  fixed  and  moveable,  were  intended  for 
the  administration  of  baptism  by  dipping,  is  allowed  by 
antiquaries,  and  an  history  of  a  few  may  serve  to  con- 
vince any  man  that  their  opinion  is  well  founded. 
Artificial  fonts  are  comprehended  in  three  classes- 
original,  missionary,  and  ordinary  parochial  fonts. 

About  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century,  during  the 
pontificate  of  Liberius,  Damasus,  who  M^as  afterwards 
Pope,  constructed  a  baptismal  font  in  the  o!d  Vatican 
church  at  Rome  (4).  The  spot  had  been  a  burial  place, 
and  stagnant  waters  rendered  it  offensive,  Damasus 
caused  the  oozing  waters  to  be  traced  to  their  spring, 
and  by  laying  pipes  under  ground,  received  and  carried 
the  whole  in  a  stream  into  the  church,  'where  it  fell  into 
a  large  receptacle  of  beautiful  alabaster  marble,  the 
undulated  veins  of  which  produced  a  pleasing  eftbct  in 
the  water,  as  also  did  the  reflection  of  the  ornamented 
roof,  the  pannels,  and  the  altars  of  the  chapel ;  for  the 
figures  above  seemed  to  live  and  move  in  the  trans^ 
parent  fluid  below.  Of  this  font,  which  was  truly  and 
properly  an  ecclesiastical  bath  or  baptistery,  the 
Catholicks  tell  two  remarkable  stories.  They  say. 
Pope  Liberius  in  this  font  on  a  holy  Saturday  baptized 
of  both  sexes  and  of  different  ranks  eight  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  ten  catechumens  (5).  They  add,  that  on 
another  holy  Saturday  when  Pope  Damasus  was  baptiz- 
ing here,  the  crowd  was  so  great  that  a  little  boy  was 
pushed  into  the  font,  and  was  drowned  :  that  it  was  an  hour 
before  they  could  get,  the  corpse  out :    that  Damasus 

(2)  A  hooke  of  certaine  canons,  concerning  some  parte  of  the  discrpline  of 
the  churche  of  England.  In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1571.  At  London  by  Joim 
Bnye.     Cum  pmnleg    ijfc.  page  i9 

('.>)  Aduertisements  partcly  for  due  order  in  the  publike  administration  of 
common  prayers,  and  using  the  holy  sacraments  .•  and  partelyfor  the  apparel 
of  all  persons  ecclesiastical,  by  virtue  of  the  ^teencs  Maiesties  Letters,  com- 
maunding  the  same  the  w  day  of  yanuary  in  the  seaucntk  ycere  of  the  re'gm- 
of  our  Souercigne  Lady  Elizabeth,  isi'c.     Printed  at  London  by  Dawson,  1584, 

(4)  Ciampini  De  Sacr.  JEdif.  Cap.  ir.  (5)  Ciampini  ut  sup. 


116  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  prayed  God  to  restore 
him  to  life  :  that  the  boy  was  restored  to  life  and 
perfect  health  :  and  that  the  restoration  convinced  the 
multitude  of  the  power  of  God  and  the  holiness  of  his 
servant  the  pope  (6).  Of  such  tales,  chiefly  does,  the 
pontifical  consist  :  but  these  do  not  effect  the  history  of 
the  font  itself,  which  is  taken  from  other,  and  undoubt- 
ed monuments  (■;).  Near  the  font  Pope  Symmachus 
erected  a  magnificent  altar  adorned  v\ith  various  em- 
blems, and  dedicated  it  to  John  the  Biiptist.  It  was 
commonly  called  the  altar  of  St.  John  ad  fontes. 
"When  it  fell  into  decay,  two  cardinals  of  the  family  of 
the  Ursini  repaired  and  endowed  it(^). 

A  font  remarkable  in  ecciesiasucal  history,  is  that 
belonging  to  the  church  of  Notre  Dame,  in  v^  hich  Clo- 
vis  the  first  catholick,  if  not  the  first  christian  king  of 
the  Franks,  was  baptized.  It  stood  without  the  church, 
and  it  is  mentioned  here  for  the  sake  of  observing,  that 
two  opinions  of  baptism  generally  received  are  mere 
popular  errors,  expressly  contradicted  by  this  as  well 
as  by  other  ancient  and  authentick  monuments. 

It  is  commonly  said,  by  such  as  allow  immersion 
to  have  been  the  primitive  mode  of  baptism,  that  dip- 
ping was  exchanged  for  sprinkhng  on  account  of  the 
coldness  of  the  climates  of  some  countries  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Roman  church.  Here  are  two  mistakes, 
the  one  that  dipping  was  exchanged  for  sprinkling  by 
choice  :  and  the  other,  that  coldness  of  climate  was 
the  reason.  It  is  not  true  that  dipping  was  exchanged 
for  sprinkling  by  choice  before  the  reformation,  for 
till  after  that  period,  the  ordinary  baptism  was  trine  im- 
mersion, and  sprinkling  was  held  valid  only  in  cases 
of  necessity.  In  this  font  Clovis  was  dipped  three 
times  in  water  at  his  baptism  (9).  Modern  French 
writers  observe,  wiih  becoming  dignity,  that  their  first 
christian  king  had  too  much  spirit  to  submit  to  pro- 
fess a  religion  before  he  had  examined  whether  it  w^e 
true  ;  and  that  Vedast  and  Remigius  first  instructed 
him  in  the  doctrine  of  the  holy  trinity,  which  he  after- 
w^ard  professed  to  believe  by  being  thrice  dipped  at  his 

(6)  Baron.  Annal.  584. 

(7)  Ciamp.  ut  sup.  Damasi  versicul.  fragment  in  cryptis  VaticajiU 

(8)  Ibid.     N.    30. 

(9)  Car.  Le  Cointe  Annaks  An.  496^^ 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  117 

baptism  (I).  More  than  three  thousand  Franks  were 
baptized  at  the  same  season  in  the  same  manner :  nor 
did  sprinkling  appear  in  France  till  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  after  the  baptism  of  Clovis ;  and 
then  it  was  invented  not  as  a  mode  of  administering 
baptism  in  ordinary,  but  as  a  prhate  relief  in  a  case 
of  necessity.  The  other  opinion  of  the  coldness  of  the 
climate  operating  toward  the  disuse  of  immersion  is 
equally  groundless.  Hincmar,  archbishop  of  Rheims, 
led  all  the  first  French  historians  into  tlie  error  of 
believing  that  Clovis  was  baptized  at  Easter:  but 
later  historians  have  corrected  this  mistake,  by  remark- 
ing that  Avitus,  a  contemporary  writer,  better  informed 
than  Hincmar,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Charlemagne, 
three  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  the  event,  Avitus, 
who  was  intimate  with  Clovis,  and  who  wrote  to  com- 
pliment him  on  his  baptism,  expressly  declares,  he  was 
baptized  the  night  preceding  Christmas-Day  (2).  Au- 
dofledis,  the  sister  of  Clovis,  was  baptized  at  the  same 
time  by  trine  immersion,  and  no  change  of  the  mode 
of  administration  was  made  on  account  either  of  her 
sex,  or  her  rank,  or  her  health,  which  probably  was 
doubtful,  for  she  died  soon  after,  or  the  season  of  the 
year  (3.)-  The  baptism  of  this  king  was  an  event  of  so 
much  consequence,  that  it  made  a  principal  article  in 
the  history  of  his  life  :  it  was  recorded  in  an  epitaph  oil 
his  tomb,  and  the  baptistery  is  there  called  a  font :  a 
full  proof  therefore  that  font  at  that  time  signified  a  spa- 
cious bath  (4).  This  at  the  church  of  Notre  Dame,  and 
that  at  the  Vatican  were  original  fonts.  The  fonts  of 
missionaries  make  a  class  divisible  into  three  ':  fonts  of 
choice ;  fonts  of  necessity  ;  and  fonts  of  fancy.  So 
for  distinction  sake  they  n\ay  at  present  be  named. 

In  the  close  of  the  seventh  century  some  English 
and  Irish  monks  went  over  to  the  Netherlands  to  con- 
vert the  inhabitants  of  that  country  to  Catholicism.  An 
accident  at  sea  obliged  them  to  land  on  an  island  which 
was  called  Fosteland,  and  which  others  name  Helgoland 
or   Heiligland.     Here  they  found  the  inhabitants  were 

(1)  Hist.  Llterahe  De  La  France.  Tom,  iii.  Clovis  I.  s.  i. 

(2)  A.viti  Episcop.  Viennensis  Epist.  ad  Clocloveum.  De  suscepta  ab  eo 
Chr'isti  fide,  atque  baptismo. 

(3)  Remig'ii  Rhemormn  Episc.  Epist.  ad  Cloveum; 

(4)  Hist,  Literaire.  tit  sup. 


118  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

idolaters,  and  among  other  superstitions  they  held  a 
certain  fountain,  or  pit  at  a  spring  head,  in  profound 
veneration,  so  that  when  they  fetched  water  from  it,  they 
observed  a  solemn  silence.  One  of  the  mi:,sionaries 
determined  by  a  publick  action  to  break  the  charm  and 
undeceive  the  solemn  votaries  of  the  fountain  god.  For 
this  purpose  he  baptized  three  converts  in  the  font  in 
the  name  of  the  trinity,  and  the  experiment  succeeded 
among  the  common  people  (5).  Rathbod,  king  of  the 
Frieslanders,  was  offended,  and  persecuted  them  so  that 
they  fled.  A  few  years  after  they  returned  to  the 
charge,  and  one  of  them,  Wulfran,  then  bishop  of  Sens, 
succeeded  so  far  as  to  engage  Rathbod  hi.nself  to  agree  to 
be  baptized.  The  day  appointed  for  the  ceremony  came, 
and  the  people  with  the  priests  proceeded  with  the  roy- 
al convert  to  the  font.  When  the  service  had  been 
perforrned  so  far  that  the  king  had  set  one  foot  into  the 
water,  he  stopped  short,  atid  with  a  stern  dignity  be- 
coming his  rank  solemnly  adjured  the  bishop  in  the 
name  of  Almighty  God  to  inform  him,  whether  his 
departed  ancestors,  the  ancient  nobility  and  kings  of 
Friesland,  were  in  that  celestial  region,  which  had  been 
promised  him  on  condition  he  were  baptized,  or  in  that 
infernal  gulf  which  he  had  been  describing  as  the  future 
abode  of  the  unbaptized  ?  Wulfran  replied  :  Excellent 
prince,  be  not  deceived :  God  hath  a  certain  number 
of  his  elect.  Your  predecessors,  former  princes  of  the 
Frisians,  dying  unbaptized,  are  undoubtedly  damned  ; 
but  henceforth  whosoever  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall 
be  happy  with  Christ  forever  in  heaven.  O,  if  that 
be  the  case,  exclaimed  Rathbod,  withdrawing  his  foot 
from  the  font,  I  cannot  consent  to  give  up  the  company 
of  my  noble  predecessors  in  exchange  for  that  of  a  few 
poor  people  in  your  celestial  region  ;  or  rather,  I  cannot 
admit  your  novel  positions,  but  I  prefer  the  ancient  and 
universal  opinions  of  my  own  nation  (6).  Having  so 
said,  he  retired,  refusing,  says  the  historian,  to  be  dip- 
ped in  the  font  of  regeneration  ;  fonte  regenerationis  no- 
luit  mergi.  By  choice^  therefore,  sometimes  mission- 
aries baptized  by  immersion  in  open  waters,   and  par- 

(5)  Alcuin.  fl/)Kc/Sur.  Tom.  vi.  Nov.  7- 

(6)  Haeec   audiens    Dux  incredulus  (nam  ad  fontem   processerat,    iit 

feruiit)  a  fonte  pedem  retraxit,  dicens,   &c Baron.     Ann,  697- -719^ 

£vV.  Jona.  apud  Sur,  tft'e  20.  Martii.  Tom.  ii. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  119 

ticiilarly  at  well,  or  spring-heads,  where  the  god  of  the 
stream  was  honoured  by  the  Pagans.  They  thought 
it  was  an  act  of  heroism,  a  carrying  of  the  war  into  the 
very  hciirt  of  the  enemy's  country. 

By  fonts  ol  necessity  are  meant  such  convenient  places 
to  baptize  in  as  missionaries  made  use  of  when  they 
had  not  time  or  ability  to  erect  regular  cliapels  for  arti- 
ficial baths.  The  old  chroniclers  of  this  country  sa\% 
the  first  missionaries  from  Rome  baptized  the  Anglo,*. 
Saxons  in  rivers  ;  and  John  Fox  observes,  tliat  "Where- 
as Austin  baptized  then  in  rivers,  it  follow  eth,  there 
was  then  no  use  of  fonts  :  '*  but  this  is  not  quite  accu- 
rate, for  the  monks  called  those  parts  of  the  rivers,  ia 
which  they  administered  baptism,  fonts.  It  is  also  re- 
markable, that  Paulinus,  chaplain  of  the  Queen  of 
Northumberland,  when  he  had  prevailed  on  Edwin,  her 
consort,  to  profess  the  religion  of  the  queen,  hastily  ran 
up  a  wooden  booth  at  York,  which  he  called  St.  Peter's 
church,  and  in  which  he  catechized  and  baptized  the  king 
and  many  of  the  nobility,  Edwin  after  his  conversion  be- 
gan to  build  of  stone  a  cathedral  on  the  spot,  the  walls 
of  which  were  erected  round  about  the  wooden  building, 
that  being  left  standing  in  the  centre,  probably  for  a 
baptistery  for  the  use  of  persons  of  rank,  who  might  not 
choose  to  expose  themselves  undressed  before  a  gazing 
multitude  (7. )  The  same  Paulinus  baptized  openly  in  the 
river  Swale,  "for,  (says  Bede),  they  could  not  build 
oratories  or  baptisteries  there  in  the  infancy  of  the 
church."  Edwin  afterward  enclosed  several  springs  by 
the  road  side  in  the  north,  and  set  there  large  basons  of 
brass  to  wash  or  to  bath  in  for  the  accommodation  of 
travellers,  and  most  likely  by  advice  of  the  monks  for 
the  purpose  of  baptizing.  Pope  Gregory  says,  Austin 
baptized  more  than  ten  thousand  persons  on  a  Christmas- 
Day.  (8)  Allov^ing  this  saint  his  usual  privilege  of  affirm- 
ing the  thing  that  is  not,  in  regard  to  the  number  of 
persons  baptized,  it  is  very  credible  he  spoke  truth  in 
respect  to  the  day,  for  he  had  no  interest  to  serve,  but 
rather  the  contrary,  for  his  interest  in  Italy  was  to  set  a 
gloss  on  Eastern  baptism  :  and  the  baptism  of  Clovis 
on  the  same  day  renders  his  testimony  highly  probable, 

(7)  Bedse  Hist.  Eccles.  Lib,  ii   Cap.  xiv. 

(8)  Grej^or.4.  Epist.  Lib.  vii.  Ep.  xxx.  Eulogio.   £fius,  Alexandriivt, 


X20  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 


If  SO,  this  is  an  additional  proof  that  dipping  wa^  not 
exchanged  for  sprinkling  on  account  of  coldness  of  cli- 
mate. It  seems,  then,  Paulinos  baptized  in  a  river 
■  because  he  had  no  baptismal  chapels  :  and  he  baptized 
king  Edwin  and  his  court  in  a  temporary  wooden  oratory, 
because  he  had  not  any  such  baptistery  as  the  wealth  and 
eleirance  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  had  erected.  In  the 
12th  centurv,  Otho,  bishop  of  Bamberg,  baptized  his  con- 
verts in  Pomerania  in  bathing  tubs  let  into  the  ground, 
and  surrounded  with  posts,  ropes  from  post  to  post,  and 
curtains  hanging  on  the  ropes  (9).  Within  the  curtains 
the  people  undressed,  w^ere  baptized,  and  afterward 
dressed  again.  Many  of  these  also  were  used  for  bap- 
tism in  the  depth  of  winter,  and  die  baths  and  tents  were 
warmed  by  stoves. 

Among  fonts  of  necessity  such  are  to  be  placed  as 
were  allowed  to  be  used  in  private  houses  in  cases  of 
necessity.  In  a  statute  of  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, it  is  ordered,  that  if  a  child  should  be  baptiz- 
ed at  home  by  a  layman  in  case  of  necessity,  the  remain- 
ing water  should  be  either  cast  into  a  fire,  or  carried 
to  the  church  and  poured  into  the  baptistery  :  and  the 
vessel  in  which  the  child  had  been  baptized  should  be 
either  burned,  or  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  church 
(1).  Canonists  expound  this  statute  by  observing,  that 
a  true  and  proper  baptism  was  trine  immersion,  by 
a  priest,  with  orderly  ceremonies,  and  nothing  else  : 
that,  however,  as  baptism  was  essential  to  salvation, 
the  church  in  her  great  clemency  for  infants  allowed 
in  case  of  danger  of  immediate  death  and  consequent 
damnation,  a  priest,  or  a  layman,  or  any  body  to 
baptize  bv  pouring,  or,  even  bv  sprinkhng,  yea,  by 
touching  a  toe  or  a  finger  of  the  bi.be  with  water : 
that  for  these  purposes  a  bathing  tub  was  to  be  pre- 
pared,  and  water  if  possible  to  dip,  or  if  that  could  not 
be,  to  use  a  part  for  sprinkling,  on  condition  that  the 
remaining  water  and  the  utensil  were  disposed  of  as 
above  :  and  they  add  that  the  use  to  which  the  church  ap- 
plied such  a  vessel,  was  that  of  washing  in  it  suiphces 
and  altar  clothes,  and  other  ecclesiastical  linen  (2). 
Such  a  bathing-tub,  or  wash-trough  is  the  pehis  ot  an- 

(9)  B.  Ottonis  vita  apud  Canisii  Lection,  antiq. 

(1)  De  Baptinmo,  et  ejus  effectu.  __     .         .  _  ^^ 

(2)  Lyndwood  Provincial.  Oxoniit.1679.  Lib.  ui.  tit.  sxiv.  pag.  242^ 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  121 

cient  ritualists,  and  it  is  with  great  inattention  that  the 
word  is  rendered  bason,  and  with  greater  still  that  an 
argument  for  sprinkling  is  drawn  from  it  (3).  Dr. 
Johnson  observes,  that  the  Saxon  word  Batr  >  ^<2^  hath 
given  rise  to  a  great  number  of  words  in  many  langua- 
ges (4).  iElfric  in  his  Glossary  translates  it  by  tlie  Lat- 
in word  I'mtei-y  and  he  places  it  first  in  his  list  of  names 
of  ships  and  their  accompaniments,  for  baz;  with  the 
Saxons,  like  linter  with  the  Latins  signified  a  little  boat 
made  of  a  tree  hollowed  or  scooped  out  like  a  tray  or 
trough.  Such  were  the  first  boats  of  most  nations.  It 
was,  therefore,  with  great  propriety  that  the  word  b.;  t 
was  put,  in  after-times,  both  for  a  wherry  and  a  trough, 
for  at  first  both  were  one  and  the  same  thing.  Hence 
came  the  Saxon  word  Bae-^  ,  baeth,  a  buth,  with  its  com- 
pounds and  derivatives,  as  Stanbaeth,  a  stoae  bath, 
Baetlian  to  wash,  to  bathe,  and  hence,  most  likely,  came 
the  modern  English  word  bason;  a  word  to  this  day  so 
vague  that  it  is  necessary  to  describe  a  size  by  an  affix, 
as  Aizw^-bason,  ro^Ti^-bason,  ^if^^-bason,  and  so  on.  Dr. 
Johnson  says,  basin  is  the  true  spelling  according  to  ety- 
mology, not  bason  :  but  this  is  probable  only  to  such  as 
derive  the  word  from  French  or  Itcilian.  P^legant  mod- 
ern writers  retain  the  old  spelling,  and  it  seems  far  more 
probable,  as  the  word  is  of  Saxon  origin,  that  it  was  de- 
rived from  bat-stone  :  as  bat-stone,  base-stone  :  bason, 
A  bat-stone  was  a  base-stone,  or  a  concave  or  hollowed 
stone,  the  hole  in  which  served  as  a  socket  to  receive  the 
foot  of  an  upright  pillar.  However  it  were,  all  such  ves- 
sels were  fonts  of  necessity,  and  it  is  credible,  various 
kinds  and  different  sizes  were  used  as  exigences  re- 
quired. 

By  fancy -loiwXs  are  intended  such  as  were  erected  and 
decorated  with  a  variety  of  ornaments,  merely  to  serve 
the  temporary  purpose  of  one  baptism.  These  are  put 
into  the  class  of  missionary-fonts,  because  they  do  not 
imply  a  stated  administrator :  and  because  they  were  set 
up  in  places  where  baptism  was  not  ordinarily  adminis- 
tered. It  is  at  royal  or  noble  christenings  that  these 
make  their  appearance.  In  these  a  baptizer  was  ap- 
16 

(3)  R.  Hospiniani  i)e  Ori;g-.  7>m/)/or«m.     Lib.  ii.     Cap.  iv.     Be  orl.. 
fine  Baptisterii. 

(4)  Dicticnary  under  the  ^Yord  Bat. 


122  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

pointed  to  officiate  for  the  time,  and  the  ceremony  was 
performed  in  royal  or  domestic  chapels,  or  in  conventual 
or  collegiate  churches,  where  no  fonts  were  required, 
because  no  parish  and  no  cure  of  souls  were  annexed  to 
them  (5). 

Always  before  the  christening,  and  generally  before 
the  birth  of  a  royal  child,  a  baptismal  font  was  prepar- 
ed. The  church  was  hung  with  rich  tapestry,  or  cloth 
of  gold,  called  Arras,  from  the  town  of  that  name  in 
Artois,  where  it  was  manufactured.  The  ceilings  as 
well  as  the  v\  alls  of  the  porch  were  covered  with  the 
same.  The  floor  was  boarded  and  carpetted.  The 
altars  were  hung  with  rich  embroidered  cloths,  and 
sumptuously  furnished  with  images,  and  church-plate. 
In  a  conspicuous  pnrt  of  the  church,  an  area  was  railed 
in,  and  on  the  rails  was  tacked  vith  brass  nails  cloth  of 
scarlet,  or  blue,  or  such  colour  as  the  mistress  of  the 
ceremonies  directed,  fringed  or  bordered  according  to 
her  taste.  Within  the  railing  there  were  three  open 
spaces  :  one  faced  the  door  of  the  church,  and  by  this 
tPie  comrany  eutticd  the  area  :  the  second  faced  the 
hny\\  altar  at  the  upper  end  of  the  church,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  passing  from  the  area  to  the  altar  :  the  third 
was  opposite  what  they  called  the  travers.  Trave  is  a 
frame.  A  baptismal  travers  was  a  high  frame  of  wood 
set  on  the  floor  like  a  skreen,  and  hung  with  curtains  of 
coloured  silks,  satin,  damask,  or  tapestry,  plain  fringed, 
or  embroidered,  and  set  off"  at  the  top  with  deep  val- 
ence, and  corniche,  like  the  tester  and  head  of  a  bed. 
The  travers  was  a  sort  of  retirmg  room  for  the  ladies, 
who  waited  on  the  royal  infant  at  his  baptism,  and  it 
was  furnished  wiih  chairs,  cushions,  pans  of  lighted 
well-burnt  charcoal,  basons,  napkins,  water  warm  and 
cold,  perfumes,  and  so  on,  *'  read}  for  the  chaunginge 
of  the  chiide  out  of  the  clothes,  and  makinge  it  ready 
unto  christendome:"  and  "afterward,  to  washe  the 
chiide  if  neade  be,  and  to  make  him  ready,"  cleanse  him 
in  case  of  accidents,  and  dress  him  after  his  baptism. 
The  case  referred  to  often  happened,  and  the  manuals 
of  the  monks  provided  for  it. 

Infans  in  fontem  si  stercoral  ejlce  fonteru  : 

Si  dimiltit  iu  hunc  urinam  :  qusestio  non  est  (6). 

(5)  Lvndwood  ubi  sup.      Edmundi  canon. 

<6)  Raymunai  SHinmula.     Fol.  x^i".    -De  Sacr.  confirm. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  12S 

From  this  accident,  some  acquired  a  nick-name, 
which  went  with  them  throui^h  life,  as  C}pticin, 
Copronymus,  and  others.  In  the  centre  of  the  area 
a  high  platform  was  raised  with  steps  carpetted  all 
over.  On  a  pedestal  in  the  middle  stood  the  font, 
by  the  side  of  which  lay  a  broad  step  covered  with 
scarlet  cloth  for  the  administrator  to  stand  on.  Some- 
times an  old  font  of  stone  was  set,  at  other  tmies  a 
new  one  was  made,  but  generally  a  silver  font  kept 
at  Canterbury  for  the  purpose  was  fetched  and  used 
on  this  occasion.  Whatever  it  were,  it  was  hung 
round  v\ithoutside  with  cloth  of  gold,  and  covered 
withinside  and  at  bottom  with  ravnes,  that  is,  soft 
linen  gathered  and  puckered  in  many  folds,  and  mtcnd- 
ed,  no  doubt,  to  prevent  any  accidental  bruising  of 
the  tender  babe.  Over  the  font  was  a  large  and  rich 
canopy  of  damask,  satin  sarcenet,  or  ra}  nes,  bordered 
and  valenced  with  fringe  or  cloth  of  gold.  The  whole 
was  magnificent,  and  the  taste  of  the  ladies  regulated 
every  part,  for  before  a  queen  lay  in,  "  women  were 
made  all  manner  of  officers  for  the  month,  as  butlers, 
panters,  and  so  on."  The  ordinances  now  recited  were 
chiefly  drawn  up  by  Margaret,  countess  of  Richmond 
and  Derby,  who  placed  all  the  decorations  of  the  queen's 
lying-in-room,  the  royal  bed,  and  the  cradles,  tlie  nur- 
sery, the  church,  chapels,  and  altars;  the  habits  of  the 
prince,  the  font,  the  traverses,  and  the  rest,  v\  ith  splen- 
dour and  taste,  properly  disposing  cloths,  silks,  velvets, 
linens  and  trains,  adjusting  the  places  and  sizes  of  or- 
naments ;  the  colours  of  white,  brown,  blue,  scarlet, 
purple,  silver,  gold,  ermine,  crimson,  russet,  stripes, 
and  shades  ;  the  appendages  of  silk-fringes,  embroidery, 
lace,  lawn,  tassels,  pommels,  devices  and  coats  of  arms, 
so  as  to  exhibit  a  superb  apparatus  of  the  magnificence 
and  taste  of  the  times  (7).  On  such  theatres  a  courtly- 
prelate  in  imperial  robes  represented  John  the  Baptist, 
the  part  of  Jesus  was  performed  in  crimson  lined  with 
ermine  by  a  princely  babe,  the  silver  font  set  forth  the 
river  Jordan,  and  the  noble  mistress  of  the  ceremonies 
with  magick  wand  like  a  goddess  created  a  scenery,  sup- 
plied the  place  of  a  deity,  and  covered  the  beggarly  ele- 
ments of  popes  and  councils  from  contempt. 

(7)  Lelandi  Collectanea  Vol.  iv.  p,  179.        Vol.  ii.  p.  663.    Baptisatio, 
reginx  EUzabethx  apud  Grenviich. 


124  OF    BAPTISMAL    PONTS. 

At  the  baptism  of  Prince  Edward,  afterward  king 
Edvvctrd  VI.  in  the  chapel  of  Hampton-Court,  Arch- 
bishop Cranmer  stood  e;odfather  for  the  prince,  as  he 
had  done  four  years  before  for  the  Princess  Elizabeth, 
who  \^as  born  at  Greenwich,  and  baptized  in  the  con- 
ventual church  of  the  Franciscan  friars  (8).  Similar 
pomp  was  displa3ed  at  both,  and  the  whole  ceremonial  is 
inserted  in  histories  of  the  times.  A  detail  would  be  te- 
dious :  but  two  or  three  remarks  may  not  be  impertinent. 

The  princess  was  born  in  September,  the  prince  in 
October  :  but  both  were  carried  to  church  and  baptiz- 
ed in  publick,  and  both  by  t  ine  immersion,  so  that 
dipping  had  not  then  been  exchanged  for  sprinkUng  on 
account  of  cold. 

This  was  no  novelty,  as  the  practice  of  one  royal 
family  will  prove.  Prince  Arthur,  eldest  son  of  Henry 
VH.  was  born  at  Winchester  on  the  twentieth  of  Octo- 
ber, fourteen  hundred  and  eighty-six.  The  Sunday 
following  he  was  carried  in  procession  to  the  cathedral  to 
be  christened.  Although  the  "  ivether  ivas  to  coiilde  and 
to  foivle  to  ha'Dc  been  at  the  west  ende  of  the  chirche  .•"  yet 
an  accident  happened,  which  obliged  the  company  to 
wait  in  the  church  *'iii  owres  largely  and  more."  The 
Earl  of  Oxford  had  been  appointed  one  of  the  three 
godfathers.  His  lordship  was  at  Lavenham  in  Suffolk 
when  the  prince  was  born.  A  messenger  v.as  dispatch- 
ed, and  a  time  fixed  for  the  baptism.  His  lordship  set 
forward,  hoping  to  arrive  in  time:  but  as  "//zd-  season 
was  al  rayny^''''  he  could  not  reach  Winchester  so  soon 
as  he  expected.  The  procession,  however,  set  forward  : 
news  came  the  earl  was  near,  yet  he  did  not  arrive. 
This  was  no  inconvenience  to  the  company,  for  there 
were  traverses  v\  ith  fires  in  them  in  the  church,  and  into 
one  the  prince  was  carried,  while  the  nobility  retired 
into  others,  and  partook  of  spices,  wines,  and  refresh- 
ments. At  length,  a  courier  arrived  with  intelligence 
that  Lord  Oxford  uas  '■'•  imhi7i  a  myle.''''  The  bishop 
then  began  the  service  ;  for  the  Earl  of  Derby  and  Lord 
Maltravers  had  been  appointed  godfathers  at  the  bap- 
tism, and  the  queen  dowager  godmother,  and  the  Earl 
of  Oxford  had  been  appointed  godfather  at  the  confirm- 
ation, which  followed  baptism,  and  which  was  perform- 

(8)  Baptizatio  Eliz.  ut  aup Vol.  ii,  p.  670. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  12& 

ed  at  the  high  altar  where  the  child  was  carried  as  soon 
as  he  was  dressed  after  his  baptism.  The  service 
therefore  proceeded,  for  the  part  of  Lord  Oxford  came 
in  toward  the  latter  end  :  and  "  incontinent  after  the 
prince  was  put  into  the  fount,  then  entrede  th'*  Erie  of 
Oxinforde.  From  the  font  the  prince  was  had  to  his 
iravers.^^  From  thence,  after  he  was  dressed,  he  was 
carried  to  the  altar,  upon  which  his  royal  godmother 
laid  him.  After  some  ceremonies,  Lord  Oxford  "  toke 
the  prince  in  his  right  armej  and  the  bishop  of  Excester 
confer  my  d  him  (9). 

Three  years  alter,  his  majesty  thought  fit  to  create 
Arthur  and  some  others  Knights  of  the  Bath.  The 
thirtieth  of  November  was  fixed  on  for  the  ceremony, 
and  bathing  the  night  before  was  a  part  of  it.  Neither 
the  tender  age  of  the  prince,  nor  the  weak  state  of  his 
health,  (for  some  say  he  was  born  a  month  before  his 
time  :  and  it  is  certain  he  died  before  he  was  fifteen) 
nor  the  season  of  the  year,  nor  the  time  of  night,  was 
supposed  to  render  bathing  hazardous  :  but  '"'when  it 
was  nyght  the  prince'^s  hayne  [bath]  %x)as  prepared  in 
the  kinge''s  closet.  And  in  the  entre  betwene  the  parlia- 
ment cliambre  and  the  chapelle  was  the  baynes  of  the  Erie 
of  Northumberland^  and  the  Eord  Maltraiiers,  and  the 
JLord  Gray  Ruthyn.'^'*  While  they  were  thus  preparing 
for  knighthood,  about  nine  o'clock  of  the  same  night 
the  queen  was  delivered  of  a  princess,  afterward  Marga- 
ret, queen  of  Scotland.  All  the  furniture  of  her  majes- 
ty's lying-in-room  is  described  with  punctilious  detail, 
but  there  doth  not  appear  any  utensil  for  a  private  bap- 
tism of  necessity,  and  the  abbey  church  at  Westminster, 
and  the  rich  font  at  Canterbury,  were  ^^  prepay  red  as  of 
old  tyme  ben  accustumed  for  kyngs  chyldren.''^  Next 
day,  the  thirtieth  of  November,  the  new-born  princess 
was  carried  in  procession  to  the  church  to  be  christen- 
ed :  and  ^'-  as  son  as  she  was  put  into  the  font,  all  the 
torchess  wer  light,  and  the  taper  also,  and  the  officers  of 
arms  put  on  ther  cotys  of  arms,''''  and  the  herald  pro- 
nounced her  name  and  title.  After  the  whole  service 
had  been  performed,  the  procession  returned  ^^wythe 
nois  of  trompettis,  and  with  Crystis  blessyng.  Ajnen.''* 
So  little  did  the  royal  family  dread  bathing  their  chiU 

(9)  Leland.  ut  sup.  Vol,  t<t>. 


126  OF    BAPTISMAL    TONTS, 

dren,  and  so  little  did  they  encourage  private  baptism, 
that  a  female  child,  the  day  after  her  birth,  was  carried 
to  church  and  baptized  by  trine  immersion,  when  the 
court  had  begun  or  were  about  beginning  to  keep 
Christmas,  and  at  a  season  when  "  the  meazellis  wer  soo 
strong  and  in  especiall  amongis  the  ladies  and  gentil- 
ivemen,  that  sum  died  of  that  sikeness,  as  the  Lady 
Ne'uill,  daughter  of  Wilham  Paston  :  ivherfor  on  Seint 
Johji's  day  the  ^veen  was  pri'ovly  cherched  or  purifi- 
ed(\).'' 

To  return  to  the  children  of  Henry  VIII.  The  font 
used  at  the  baptism  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth  was  sil- 
ver, probably  the  old  one  of  Canterbury  :  that  of 
Prince  Edward,  "  the  most  dearest  sonne  of  the  king,^^ 
was  of  silver  gilt,  and  very  likely  a  new  one.  This, 
however,  is  not  certain,  for  there  was  one  of  silver  gilt 
used  at  the  baptism  of  Prince  Arthur,  son  of  Henry  VIL 
Each  was  set  upon  a  stage  with  steps  carpetted,  having 
above  a  canopy  of  crimson  satin  fringed  with  gold,  and 
-a  travers  on  the  floor  near  the  bottom  step  with  lighted 
charcoal,  basons,  water,  perfumes,  and  all  other  conve- 
niences to  wash  the  children,  "  z/' ;z(?d'(i  were."  "  ^// 
the  tyme  of  the  princes  opening,''''  noblemen,  "  %mth  a- 
prons  and  towels  about  their  nechs^''''  stood  round  the 
steps,  the  '' baptizer''*  and  the  godfathers  stood  under 
the  canopy,  to  '■''abide  the  coming^''''  of  the  lady  godmo- 
ther and  the  princes  out  of  the  travers,  and  the  ceremo- 
ny of  hallowing  the  font  was  performed  meanwhile. 
All  this  is  a  preparation  for  undressing  in  order  to  dip, 
and  for  dipping  after  undressing  (2).  Since  sprinkling 
took  place,  no  such  services  are  necessary. 

After  baptism,  "  z/z  tyme  the  prince  was  making  ready 
in  his  travers,''^  the  officiating  part  of  the  company  were 
waited  on  with  basons  and  towels  :  then  they  were 
*'  ser'ved  with  spice  in  sp'ice-plateSy  wyne  and  wafers^  and 
all  other  estates  and  gentiles  within  the  church  and  the 
court  were  sensed  with  spice  and  ypocras,  and  all  other 
had  bread  and  sweet  wyne.^^  Next  Te  Deum  was 
sung  :  and  lastly  the  prince  was  brought  out  of  his 
travers,  and  carried  home  in  procession  along  with  the 

(1)  The  same,  p.  250. 

(2)  Baptizafio Christening as  above Fox's  Acts  and  Monu- 

nieiits.  An.  1333.     ^eene  Elizabeth  christened,  p.  962. 

V 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  127 

rich  gifts  given  by  the  godfathers.  He  had  been  con- 
ducted thither  by  the  choir  chanting  :  but  he  returned 
with  trumpets  sounding,  and  as  the  king  on  such  occa- 
sions gave  great  largess,  all  manner  of  festivity  crowned 
the  da;  ( i).  Tiie  interlude  in  the  church  was  well  a- 
dapted  to  i^ive  time  to  dress  royal  infants.  Such  have 
been  the  sports  of  fancy  in  baptism,  and  so  full  of 
meaning  is  the  saying  of  Jesus  concerning  John  the 
Baptist,  Be/iold  they  that  wear  soft  clothing  are  in  king's 
homes  (4). 

In  the  last  class  may  be  placed  all  fonts  in  parish 
ehurches  for  the  publick  ordinary  baptism  of  children. 
These  came  forward  along  with  infant-baptism.  Be- 
fore the  coming  of  Austin,  the  monk,  there  were  Chris- 
tians in  this  country.  When  he  came,  he  brought 
monachism,  which  he  called  Christianity,  and  endeav- 
oured to  unite  that  with  the  Christianity  of  the  Britons. 
To  this  the  Britons  objected,  because  one  of  his  requi- 
sitions was,  that  they  should  give  christendome^  that  is, 
biiptism  to  children,  which  they  positively  refused  to  do. 
King  Ethelbert,  the  first  royal  convert  of  Austin,  was  a 
mild  prince,  he  had  no  notion  of  converting  men  by 
fire  and  sword ;  and  although  he  was  baptized  himj^eli, 
yet  he  did  not  attempt  to  force  his  subjects  to  become 
either  Christians  or  Catholicks  (5).  Historians,  who 
aliirm  he  was  taught  by  the  catholick  doctors  liberality 
of  sentiment,  impose  on  themselves,  for  whatever  they 
■pretend,  there  is  yet  extant  a  letter  of  Pope  Gregory  to 
him  fraught  with  maxims  of  fraud  and  force  supported 
by  precedents  of  cruelty  and  luxury,  and  fired  with 
false  alarms  concerning  the  end  of  the  world.  It  is 
credible  this  great  kiiig  was  a  much  better  man  before 
his  conversion  than  after.  Even  the  Pagan  priests  had 
not  learned  to  persecute  before  the  Roman  missionaries 
taught  them.  They  bore  no  arms  when  they  travelled, 
they  either  walked,  or  rode  like  those  who  tilled  the 
ground  mounted  on  dull  and  drowsy  mares  :  but  no 
sootier  had  Paulinus  converted  one,  than  out  he  sallied 
on  a  fiery  steed  full  armed  to  destroy  altars  and  tem- 
ples, and  of  course  to  plunder  property  and  oppress  his 

(3)  Chriitening  of  Prince  Eciiuard,  p.  674,  675. 

(4)  Matt.  xi.  8 

(5)  Be4«  Scciet.  MUt.    Lib.  i.  Cap.  xxx. 


128  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

peaceful  neighbours  (6).  In  this  spirit  barbarous  Aus- 
tin, a  foreigner,  caused  the  murder  of  twelve  hundred 
native  British  Christians,  and  forced  nionachism  on  the 
Pagans,  and  as  a  part  of  it  infant-baptism.  Fonts  for 
this  purpose  rose  out  of  ecclesiastical  canons,  and  for- 
eign customs  and  foreign  laws  were  imported,  by 
which  each  parish  was  ordered  to  provide  fonts  of  wood 
or  stone,  the  latter  if  possible,  for  the  baptism  of  chil- 
dren. 

All  these  fonts  were  evidently  intended  for  dippin,a[, 
as  the  size  ot  them  proves,  and  as  the  laws  and  ru bricks 
of  the  church  ordain.  Writers  on  topographical  antiq- 
uities mention  a  great  many  ;  and  the  learned  and  inde- 
faiigable  author  of  that  complete  body  of  information, 
entiiled  British  Topography,  hath  taken  the  pains  on 
this,  as  on  all  other  articles,  to  arrange  and  class  the 
materials  with  wonderful  precision,  for  the  benefit  of 
investigators  (7).  It  may  be  proper  to  run  the  eye  over 
some  of  the  most  remarkable  fonts.  The  continent 
would  furnish  many,  but  a  few  of  this  country  will  serve 
to  ekicldate  this  article. 

Grymbald  w^as  a  native  of  French  Flanders,  and  iEI- 
fred,  the  glory  of  the  Saxon  kings,  brought  him  into 
England  in  the  year  eight  hundred  eighty  five,  and  plac- 
ed him  at  Oxford  (8).  There,  in  the  first  school  found- 
ed by  iElfred,  he  taught  divinity  along  with  the  Abbot 
Neot,  and  he  may  justly  be  reputed,  as  by  the  Oxon- 
ians he  is,  one  of  the  founders  and  first  ornaments  of 
that  noble  Universit}  (9).  The  old  church  of  St.  Pe- 
ter was  built  by  Grymbald,  and  a  part  of  it  remains  en- 
tire to  this  day.  In  this  church  there  was  till  lately  a 
very  ancient  baptismal  font,  of  elegant  sculpture  for  the 
time.  Mr.  Hearne  thought,  it  was  of  the  same  date  as 
that  of  Winchester,  and  he  adds  :  after  it  had  kept  its 
place  about  five  hundred  years,  it  was  ordered  to  be 
removed,  and  one  much  inferior  to  be  put  in  its  place. 

(6)  S.  Gregorii.  Papx  Epkt.  Lib.  ix.  Indict.  i<v  Ep.  ix.  Aldiberto  regi 
Angloruin. 

(7)  British  Topography,  or  an  historical  account  of  what  hath  been  done/or 
illustrating  the  topographical  antiquities  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  London, 
1780.  Vol.  i  Baptistery  at  Canterbury— Fonts  at  Luton — Rochester,  Bride- 
kirk — Alpliington — Chipping — Vol.  ii       Fotit   of  Edward  the  Confessor — 

of  Grymbald at  Winchester at  Oxford at  Worlingworth at 

Brighthlemstone,  &c. 

(8)  Ex  vita  Grimbaldi.  apud  Leland.  Collectan.  Tom  i.  page  21. 

(9)  Ant.  a  Wood.   Hift.et  Aritiq^^Unifi.  Oxoniensis,  Oxwii.  1674,   Lib,  i- 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  129 

It  was  therefore  turned  out,  and  put  over  a  well  (1). 
It  is  in  circumference  eleven  feet,  and  of  proportional 
depth.  In  separate  niches  the  twelve  apostles  are  rep- 
resented. The  upper  part  is  bordered  with  a  run- 
ning sprig.  The  form  is  circular.  The  place,  the 
size,  and  the  sculpture,  serve  to  inform  a  spectator, 
that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  donor,  the  dipping  of 
children  according  to  the  prescribed  form  of  the  church 
was  apostolical  baptism. 

In  the  church  of  Bridekirk  near  Cockermouth,  in 
Cumberland,  there  is  "a  large  open  vessel  of  greenish 
stone,"  which  antiquaries  pronounce  a  Danish  font  (2). 
It  is  undoubtedly  a  very  ancient,  a  very  rude,  and  a 
very  singular  curiosity.  That  it  was  intended  for  a  bap- 
tismal font  ab  or/gine,  as  bishop  Gibson  observes,  can- 
not be  questioned  ;  for  on  the  east  side  the  baptism  of 
Christ  is  represented.  Jesus  stands  naked  "  in  a  kind 
of  font  or  vase,  with  a  nimbus  almost  defaced  round  his 
head,  and  over  him  a  dove  (3)."  On  his  right  hand  near 
the  font  stands  John  the  Baptist,  his  left  hand  being 
behind  the  shoulders  of  Jesus,  and  his  right  on  his  side. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  font  is  supposed  to  be  a  relief 
of  the  angel  driving  Adam  and  Eve  out  of  Paradise. 
Eve  kneeling  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  and  clinging  round  it 
as  if  unwilling  to  depart  ( l).  If  the  drawing  be  exact, 
it  may  be  supposed,  antiquaries  are  led  to  judge,  that 
the  artist  intended  the  expulsion  from  Paradise,  not  be- 
cause the  sculpture  necessarily  exhibits  such  a  meaning, 
but  because  three  human  figures  and  a  tree  arc  in  a  rep- 
resentation that  ought  to  have  some  connexion  with  bap- 
tism. The  conjecture,  however,  is  ingenious,  and  very 
likely.  Whether  the  sculpture  on  the  east  and  west 
sides  be  merely  ornamental,  or  hieroglyphical,  is  not  de- 
termined. The  inscription  is  on  the  south  side,  and  it 
hath  occasioned  many  conjectures.  "  The  chief  part  of 
the  characters  are  Runic,  yet  some  are  purely  Saxon  : 
and  the  language  of  the  whole,  says  Bishop  Nicholson, 
seems  a  mixture  of  the  Danish  and  Saxon  tongues,  the 
natural  effect  of  the  two  nations  being  jumbled  together 

(1)  Thomx  Hearnii  prcefat.  ad  Lelancti  Collectan.  Vol.  i.  pag,  29. 

(2)  Camden's  Brtannia.   Gibson's  Edit.  Vol.  ii.  p    10(>7.  et  seq. 

(3)  Rev.  Mr.  John   Bell's  (F/car  o/"^nVc/f/>i)  letter  DecT  11,  1767,  in 
Arclijeologia. 

f4)  Arcliscol  Vol  ii.  plat^  ix,  p.  tJJ. 

17 


130  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

in  this  part  of  the  world."  Thus  his  lordship  reads  it. 
Er  Ekard  men  egrocten  :  and  to  dis  men 
Red  wer  Taner  men  brogten.  Here  Ekard 
was  converted :  and  to  this  man's  example  were  the 
Danes  brought  (5). 

Bishop  Lyttleton  entirely  agreed  with  his  learned 
predecessor,  that  the  inscription  was  Danish  :  but  he 
strongly  suspected  that  the  font  was  of  higher  antiquity, 
and  that  the  inscription  was  added  on  a  memorable  event 
about  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  under  the 
Danish  government.  Both  their  Lordships  supposed 
Ekard  to  have  been  "  a  Danish  general,  who  received 
baptism  on  his  conversion  to  Christianity,  and  whose 
example  was  then  followed  by  several  of  his  country- 
men at  this  place  (6)."  The  Danes  made  their  first 
incursions  into  this  kingdom  in  seven  hundred  eighty- 
seven,  and  it  seems  not  improbable  that  this  font  was  set 
up  about  a  hundred  years  after  in  the  reign  of  Alfred,  or 
in  that  of  his  son  Edward,  for  both  entered  into 
treaty  with  the  Danes,  and  the  treaties  were  confirmed 
by  the  baptism  of  the  Danish  generals  (7).  In  that  be- 
tween iElfred  and  Gothrun  the  Dane,  the  baptism  of  the 
Danes,  was  one  condition,  and  Gothrun  and  thirty  officers 
were  baptized  in  a  river.  Some  provision,  no  doubt,  was 
made  for  the  baptism  of  their  children,  for  the  catholick 
missionaries  never  forgot  this  favourite  maxim  of  Austin 
their  leader  ;  and  as  the  Danes  inhabited  Northumber- 
land, in  which  a  part  of  Cumberland  was  then  included, 
so  it  is  credible  that  Bridekirk  font  is  of  earlier  date 
than  that  in  the  church  of  Grymbald,  and  is  the  oldest 
font  yet  remaining  in  this  kingdom,  being  of  the  ninth 
century,  when  the  Danes  first  received  the  catholick 
religion.  Whether  the  font  be  Danish  or  Saxon,  the 
baptism  represented  on  it  is  that  of  the  Catholicks  op- 
posed to  that  of  the  old  Pelagian  Britons.  The  artist  in- 
tended to  represent  the  reason  for  baptizing  infants, 
that  is,  original  sin  derived  from  Adam  ;  and  the  mode 
of  baptizing,  that  is,  immersion,  after  the  example  of 
Jesus  the  second  Adam.  To  this  the  laws  of  the  times 
of  iElfred,  and  of  succeeding  synods  agree,  and  partic- 

(5)  Gough*s  Topography,  Vol.  i.  p.  285. 

(6)  Bishop  Lyttletoii's  Description  of  an  ancient  font  at  Bridekirk,  in 
Cumberland.  Read  at  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  Dec.  8,  1767.  Archxoi. 
Vol.  ii.  xxi. 

(7)  H.  Spelman.  Concilia.  Leg.  Ecotgs.  ab  AlU^edo  et  Cuthurno. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  131 

ularly  those  which  are  entitled,    Northumbrian  priests 
laws  (8). 

Among  the  plates  published  by  Mr.  Strutt,  there  is 
one  from  a  manuscript  life  of  Richard,  earl  of  Warwick, 
which  represents  "how  he  was  baptized,  havyng  to  his 
godfathers  King  Richard  the  second,  and  Seynt  Richard 
Scrope,  then  [1381]  Bishop  of  Lichefeld,  and  after  in 
processe  of  tyme  he  was  Archebishop  of  Yorke(^)." 
This  plate  Mr.  Strutt  took  from  "a  very  curious  and 
valuable  manuscript  in  the  Cotton  Library,  marked 
Julius,  E.  IV.  The  original  delineations,  together 
with  the  writing,  are  all  done  by  the  hand  of  John 
Rouse,  the  Warwickshire  antiquary  and  historian,  who 
died  the  14th  of  January,  1491,  the  seventh  year  of 
Henry  the  Seventh.  It  is  illustrated  with  53  excellent 
delineations,  which  fully  explain  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  times  in  which  they  weredone(l)."  Round  a 
neat  Saxon  font  the  company  stand.  A  bishop  is  holding 
the  child,  stark  naked,  and  just  going  to  be  dipped, 
over  the  font.  The  hand  of  the  royal  godfather  is  on 
his  head.  The  archdeacon,  according  to  custom, 
stands  by  the  bishop  holding  up  the  service  book  open, 
which  implies  that  the  baptism  is  performing  according 
to  the  Ritual.  As  the  child's  face  is  toward  the  water, 
this  is  the  last  of  the  three  immersions,  and  the  bishop 
may  be  supposed  now  uttering  the  last  clause  of  the 
baptismal  words  :  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen.  The 
priest  on  the  other  side  of  the  officiating  bishop  is  hold- 
ing the  chrism.  Fonts,  like  medals,  form  an  history,  and 
from  an  history  of  fonts  incontestible  evidence,  rises  to 
prove  that  during  the  whole  reign  of  Popery  publick  or- 
dinary baptism  was  administered  by  immersion  :  that 
the  mode  was  not  changed  to  sprinkling  here,  any  more 
than  on  the  continent,  for  such  considerations  as  climate 
or  timidity,  rank  or  caprice ;  and  that  in  the  publick 
opinion  there  was  no  hazard  to  health  in  dipping  infants. 
The  noble  babe  whose  baptism  is  here  represented  was 
born  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  January  at  Salwarp,  in  the 
county  of  Worcester. 

Ordinary  baptism  was  administered  by  trine  immer- 
sion, and  fonts  competent  to  this  mode  of  baptizing 

(8)  Spelman  ut  sup.  Circa  an.  988.     Lambard.  Aluredi  leg. 

(9)  View  of  Manners,  iS'c.  Vol.  ii.  Plate  viii.  p.  121. 
(1)  P'^S'  119-  Account  of  the  principal  MSS.  i3'c. 


132  OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS. 

were  parts  of  the  establishment.  Doctor  William 
Lyndvvood,  who  was  first  Chancellor  of  the  Archbish- 
oprick  of  Canterbury,  next  Lord  Keeper  of  the  Privy 
Seal,  and  lastly,  Bishop  of  St.  David's,  and  Ambassa- 
dor to  several  foreign  courts,  compiled,  at  the  request 
of  the  Archbishop,  his  Provinciale,  or  the  provincial 
cou'Dtitutions  of  fourteen  archbishops  of  Canterbury,  be- 
ginning with  Stephen  Langton,  in  the  reign  of  King 
John,  and  ending  viith  the  then  archbishop  Henry  Chi- 
cheley  (2).  In  Langton's  time  the  papal  despotism 
arrived  at  its  summit  :  in  the  days  of  Chicheley  it  be- 
gan to  fall,  when,  by  authority  of  a  parliament  holden 
at  Leicester,  one  hundred  and  ten  alien  priories  were 
suppressed,  and  their  possessions  given  to  the  king, 
and  to  his  heirs  forever  (3).  Lyndwood  began  to  com- 
pile this  book  in  fourteen  hundred  twenty  three, 
and  to  the  statutes  he  added  a  gloss  expository  of  ev- 
ery doubtful  word,  unquestionably  taken  from  the  prac- 
tice of  the  courts,  ly  a  canon  of  Edmund,  archbishop 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  every  baptismal  church  was 
required  to  provide  a  competent  baptistery  of  stone  or 
other  material.  The  learned  canonist  observes,  on  the 
word  stone,  that  it  was  agreeable  to  a  foreign  canon  of 
the  church  :  on  the  word  other,  that  it  signified  a  ma- 
terial solid,  durable  and  strong,  that  would  hold  water  : 
and  on  the  \a  ord  competent,  that  it  meant  such  an  one 
as  would  admit  of  the  dipping  of  the  person  baptized  ; 
sic  quod  haptizandiis possit  in  eo  mergi  (4).  By  a  canon 
of  Archbishop  Peckham,  and  by  that  of  Edmund,  just 
mentioned,  provision  is  made  for  cases  of  necessity, 
Lyndvvood  observes  on  the  word,  that  canonists  defin- 
ed the  several  cases  of  necessity  to  be,  imminent  danger 
oi  death,  a  state  o^  Iiostility  ;  an  incursion  ofthieiies  ;  an 
inundation  of  ivater,  or  any  similar  obstruction  of  the 
road;  or  a  legal  disability.  In  another  statute  of  Peck- 
ham  to  confirm  a  former  canon  of  the  Cardinal  Legate 
Ottoboni,  baptism  is  called  iimnersion.  Here  the  com- 
mentator makes  a  great  many  curious  remarks  on  the 
cases  in  which  immersion  may  be  dispensed  with,  and 
observes,  that  although,  if  a  child  died  before  it  was  ful- 
ly born,  it  was  held  valid  to  salvation,  and  to  christian 

(2)  Fr.  Godwini.  ds  prxsid.  AngUa. 

(5)  Speed.  Hen.  iii.         (4)  Lib.  iii.  Tit,  24.  De  baptismo  et  ejus  effcct'u- 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  133 

burial,  to  touch  any  part  of  it  with  a  drop  of  wa- 
ter ;  yet  it  was  safer,  if  it  could  be  done  after  its 
birth,  to 'pour  water  on  its  head ;  that  in  case,  after 
it  had  been  wetted  with  bciptismal  water  before  its 
birth,  it  should  live,  it  would  not  be  amiss  to  bap- 
tize it  by  immersioti  in  the  conditional  form,  by  say- 
ing, if  thou  hast  not  been  baptized  I  baptize  thee,  and 
so  on  :  and  that  in  all  possible  cases  it  was  safest  to  im- 
merse the  ivhole  body  ;  and  most  laudable  to  immerse 
three  times  (5).  It  hath  been  observed  before,  that  bap- 
tisteries, strictly  so  called,  imply  an  intermediate  state  of 
baptism  between  that  in  rivers,  and  that  in  fonts,  and  a 
very  sufficient  reason  may  be  given  for  the  paucity  of 
such  edifices  in  Britain.  The  baptism  of  minors  pre- 
vailed for  ages  in  some  countries,  and  there  many  bap- 
tisteries appear  among  catholick  antiquities  :  but  Ca- 
tholicism arrived  here  late,  monks  were  the  missiona- 
ries, and  the  unyielding  firmness  of  the  old  British 
Christians,  who,  probably,  were  not  believers  of  origin- 
al sin,  and  who  certainly  opposed  infant  baptism,  inspir- 
ed the  monks  with  caution  on  this  head.  There  were, 
however,  as  Bede  observes,  some  of  these  oratories  or 
baptismal  chapels  erected  here  at  first,  and  a  chapel  of 
the  abbey  at  Braintree  in  Essex  seems  to  have  been  one. 
The  period  of  these  is  that  between  the  coming  of  Aus- 
tin and  the  conquest  by  the  Normans,  and  this  chapel 
is  supposed  to  be  of  that  period.  In  seventeen  hundred 
"seventy-two,  Mr.  Strutt  preserved  the  last  remnant  of 
this  antique  from  obUvion,  and  hath  giving  both  a  draw- 
ing of  the  east  front,  and  a  description  of  the  whole. 
It  was  dedicated  to  John  Baptist,  and  it  was  about  fif- 
teen feet  in  breadth,  and  its  length  measuring  in  the  in- 
side was  about  thirty  (6).  The  size  agrees  with  that 
of  many  baptisteries  abroad.  The  Balneum  or  bathing- 
room  of  a  Roman  Bath  at  the  west  end  of  the  parish 
church  of  St.  Mary  at  Dover  measures,  one  side,  twen- 
ty-five feet,  and  the  learned  antiquary  who  surveyed  it 
supposed  it  had  been  forty  feet  in  length  (7).     Very 

(5)  Tit.  25.  </.  iinmersio.  An  debeat  esse  trina,  vel  unica,  ct  an  sujjicit  as- 
persio  -^  -  -  -  Tutius  est  cjuod  totiis  niergatur  in  aqua.  -  -  24.  e.  Vas  illud. 
Licet  immersio  possit  solum  esse  una,  ut  dixi  in  principio,  probabilior 
tamen  est  consuetudo  quae  ter  immergit,  quia  significat  fidem  triuitatis,  et 
triduum  sepulturae  Cliristi. 

(6)  View  of  Manners,  ijfc.   Vol,  i.  pag.  35.  Plate  ii.  Fig.  2. 

(7)  Rev.  Mr.  Lyon's  Description  pf  a  Homan  bath  at  Dover*  Archceol. 
Vol.  V.  xxxiii. 


134  OF    BAPTISMAE    FONTS. 

likely  it  had  been  used  at  first  for  the  church  baptistery. 
The  baptistery  of  St.  Sophia  at  Constantinople  (8),  and 
that  at  Milan  (9),  were  larger  than  this  :  those  at  Ra- 
venna are  between  this  and  the  chapel  at  Braintree;  and, 
in  brief,  they  differed  in  size  as  all  other  buildings 
did(l). 

Some  baptisteries  and  fonts  are  connected  with 
ecclesiastical  history  of  the  places  where  they  are. 
Thus,  for  example,  the  remarkable  circular  building 
situated  near  the  north  door  of  the  cathedral  church  of 
Canterbury,  vulgarly  called  Bell-Jesus,  and  which  the 
accurate  and  ingenious  Mr.  Gostling  with  great  reason 
supposed  to  have  been  a  baptistery,  is  historically  con- 
nected with  the  more  ancient  font  at  St.  Martin's,  the 
moveable  silver  font  mentioned  in  royal  christenings, 
and  the  modern  font,  which  was  given  by  Bishop  War- 
ner in  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  (2).  These  are  connected 
with  another  article,  the  date  of  the  church  of  St.  Mar- 
tin, and  that  with  the  original  character  of  the  Bishop 
of  St.  Martin,  and  the  nature  of  his  bishoprick.  Som- 
ner,  Lanibarde,  and  others,  prove  from  the  archives  of 
the  cathedral,  that  there  was  a  bishop's  see  at  the  church 
of  St.  Martin  from  the  time  of  Theodore  to  Lanfranck, 
that  is,  three  hundred  and  forty-nine  years  (3).  "  Then 
Lanfranck,  not  Hking  to  have  two  bishops  to  one  city," 
either  converted  the  bishoprick  into  an  archdeaconry, 
or  changed  the  chorepiscopal  archdeacon  into  a  simple 
archdeacon,  that  is,  stripped  him  of  his  chorepiscopal 
title  and  power  :  as,  probably,  some  early  catholick 
bishop  had  ages  before  deprived  a  former  bishop  of  St. 
Martin  of  his  Saxon  or  British  independency.  This 
leads  back  to  the  state  of  Christianity  in  Britain  before 
the  coming  of  Austin,  and  of  course  the  Canterbury 
fonts  and  baptisteries  are  monuments  closely  connected 
with  histor3^ 

(8)  Dufresne  Hist.  Byzmtt.  -  -  Notie  in  Pauli  Silent.  Descript.  S.  Sophix 
Baptisterii. 

(9;  Y'xcecoxmiis  Observat.  Eccks.  Tom.  i.  Lib.  i.  cap.  4.  An  Baptisteria 
semper  in  ecclesiafuerint?  £t  de  more  injluminibus,fontibus,  viis,  ac  career- 
thus  bciptizandi. 

(1)  Ferd.  Ughelli  Italia  Sacrapassim.  •  •  - 

(2)  Rev.  Mr.  Gostling-'s  Walk  in  and  about  the  city  of  Canterbury.  Cant. 
J774i.  -  .  -  .  \V.  Somner's  Antiquities  of  Canterbury.  London,  1640.  p.  18L 
Plate  of  the  Font. 

(3)  W.  Lambarde'8  Perambulation  of  Kent.  Canterbury  -  -  -  -  Somner  as 
above,  pag.  65. 


OF    BAPTISMAL    FONTS.  135 

Almost  every  antique  of  this  kind  affords  reflections 
local  or  periodical,  which  cast  rays  of  light  on  the  written 
ecclesiastical  history  of  Christianity  in  this  island.  As 
the  font  at  Bridekirk  sets  Danish  baptism  ii>  a  just  point 
of  light,  so  others  refer  to  Norman  or  Saxon  times.  It 
is  far  from  improbable,  that  the  present  bath  near  one 
end  of  the  church  of  East  Dereham  in  Norfolk  was  a 
baptistery  :  but  the  conjecture  is  connected  with  histor- 
ical anecdotes.  If  a  bishop  of  Coventry  granted  to  the 
abbey  of  Haghmon  in  Shropshire  an  officer,  whose  pro- 
vince it  was  to  baptize  Jews  as  well  as  infants,  it  is  nat- 
ural to  infer,  there  were  at  that  time  Jews  resident  in 
Shropshire,  and  baptisteries,  at  least  one,  in  or  near  the 
abbey,  for  the  purpose  of  baptizing  men  and  women  (4). 
The  old  circular  font  at  Brighthelmstone  is  on  the  out- 
side a  piece  of  history  ss.  ulpture  (5).  The  institution 
or  administration  of  the  Lord's  supper  is  represented  in 
one  compartment:  and  Jesus  and  his  disciples  are  sitting 
at  the  table.  In  another,  baptism  is  described  :  a  man 
is  standing  naked  "in  the  water  up  to  his  middle  ;  one 
on  the  right  holding  his  clothes  ;  another  on  the  left 
dressed  in  a  canonical  habit,  like  that  of  an  officiating 
priest,  presenting  two  rolls  of  linen.  The  figures  are 
shewn  as  if  standing  under  arches,  possibly  meant  for 
those  of  a  baptistery."  In  another  compartment,  four 
persons  are  represented,  two  in  a  boat,  and  two  in  or 
upon  a  rough  water.  Perhaps  this  might  be  intended 
to  represent  a  baptism  in  the  sea.  If  so,  the  sculpture 
hath  a  local  propriety.  The  beautiful  old  octagon  font 
in  Orford  chapel,  Suffolk,  is  of  a  date  not  difficult  to  be 
guessed  by  the  inscription  on  the  surface  of  the  octa- 
gonal base  of  three  steps  (6).  The  two  catholick  rea- 
sons for  trine  immersion  are  represented  here  :  the  one 
by  an  angel  holding  an  escutciieon  in  his  hand  charged 
with  a  triangle  to  represent  the  Ti  inity  ;  the  other,  a  wo- 
man sitting  and  holding  a  dead  corpse  in  her  lap,  to  sig- 
nify either  the  dead  body  of  Christ,  or  a  dying  and  being 
buried  with  him  in  baptism  by  trine  imniersion,  which 
represented  the  three  days'  burial  of  Jesus.  These  and 
many  others  deserve  more  attention  than  the  limits  of 

(4)  Exception  to  GosUing's  Walk.  Gent.  Mag.  Nov.  1774.  pag.  509. 
note Mr.   Gostling's  Answer    Jan.  1775 

(5)  Antiquarian  Repertory    London,  17S0.  Vol.  iii.  pages  56,  254. 

(6)  The  same.  Vol.  i.  p.  181. 


136  OF    INFANT    SPRINKLING. 

this  chapter  will  allow  ;  and  here  it  is  sufficient  to  re- 
mark, that  all,  various  as  they  are,  were  evidently  form- 
ed to  be  used  in  the  practice  of  immersion,  and  some  of 
them  to  teach  the  doctrine,  or  the  history  of  it.  The 
rude  figures  on  that  at  Winchester  seem  intended  to  pre- 
serve an  history  ;  and  whether  the  boat  refers  to  a  local 
sea  baptism,  or  to  a  foreign  mission,  is  a  question  not 
easily  answered  (7). 

To  finish  this  article.  A  conjecture,  on  one  class  of 
miracles  in  baptisteries,  may  not  improperly  be  inserted 
here.  The  Catholicks  speak  of  baptisteries  abroad, 
which  used  to  flow  with  water  at  Easter  without  the  aid 
of  art,  and  to  become  dry  of  themselves  after  the  priest 
had  done  baptizing.  They  gave  this  out  for  a  miracle 
in  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  into  which  they 
baptized.  Their  enemies,  the  Arians,  taxed  them  with 
imposture.  Writers  of  natural  history  may,  perhaps, 
settle  the  difference.  They  mention  a  variety  of  springs 
distinguished  by  remarkable  properties  :  and  some  that 
ebb  and  flow  several  times  in  an  hour.  There  is  one  at 
Lay  well,  near  Torbay  :  and  another  at  Giggleswick,  in 
Craven,  a  district  in  Yorkshire  :  and  there  are  many  in 
other  countries  (8).  A  "monk  of  the  middle  ages  would 
naturally  meet  with  much  to  excite  his  astonishment, 
and  cherish  his  credulousness  in  such  places.  In  all 
such  cases,  supposing  the  illiteracy  of  the  times,  the  fact 
might  be  affirmed  and  denied  with  equal  sincerity  on 
both  sides.  In  modern  times,  enlightened  by  philoso- 
phy, the  ancient  Spanish  Catholicks  may  be  acquitted  of 
a  charge  of  fraud  ;  the  Arians,  their  opponents,  of  the 
guilt  of  wilful  slander  ;  and  both  may  be  regarded  only 
as  innocent  spectators  of  a  real  fact,  on  which  neither 
party  knew  how  to  reason.  On  such  an  axiom  it  may 
be  charitably  hoped,  the  good  Parent  of  mankind  will  in 
all  cases  of  unavoidable  ignorance  hold  his  children  less 
guilty  than  some  are  willing  to  imagine. 

CHAP.  XIX. 

OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

INFANT  baptism  is  an  ancient  practice  ;    but  inflmt 
sprinkling  is  more  ancient  than  the  institution  of  baptism 

<7)    Ar.tiq.  Rep.  Vol.  iv.  1784.  pages  40,252. 

(8)    Dr.  Campbell's  Political  Sun^ey  of  BritUin,  Vol.  i.  Book  i,  Chap.  v. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  137 

itself.  Let  no  serious  man  take  oftence  at  the  distinction 
between  baptism  and  sprinkling,  for  it  is  necessary  in 
ecclesiastical  history,  and  it  is  impossible  to  relate,  with 
any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  history  of  baptism  without 
it.  To  baptize  is  to  dip  :  to  sprinkle  is  to  scatter  in 
drops.  The  application  of  water  to  infants  in  these  two 
modes  forms  an  history  naturally  divisible  into  two  dis- 
tinct branches.  The  dipping  of  children  for  a  religious 
purpose  rises  to  view  at  a  certain  period  in  the  ecclesi- 
astical history  of  Christians:  die  sprinkling  of  children 
is  an  article  of  Pagan  mythology,  and  it  is  traced  by  an- 
tiquaries from  monument  to  nionument,  on  Roman  and 
Etruscan  remains,  till  it  hides  itself  in  depths  of  ilie  most 
remote  antiquity  (l).  Among  the  Pagans,  it  was  lus- 
tration :  when  it  hist  apj)eared  in  the  church,  it  was  un- 
der the  name  of  exorcism  :  when  the  monks  united 
exorcism  with  baptism  it  became  confounded  with  bap- 
tism itself  :  and  in  the  end  it  came  forward,  and  suppli- 
ed the  place  of  it.  In  a  future  chapter  on  aspeksion, 
all  this  will  be  investigated  at  large.  At  present  it  will 
be  sufficient  in  brief  to  observe,  that  baptism  was  uni- 
versally performed  by  immersion,  single  or  trine,  for  the 
first  thirteen  hundred  years  (2)  :  that  from  thence  till 
after  the  reformation  it  was  generally  performed  by  trine 
immersion  :  that  pouring  or  sprinkling  began  to  be  al- 
lowed for  baptism  only  in  the  eighth  century  in  cases 
of  necessity  :  and  that  in  this  country  sprinkling  was 
"never  declared  valid  ordinary  baptism  till  the  assembly 
of  divines  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  infiuenced  by  Dr. 
Lighffoot,  pronounced  it  so  (3).  In  the  Eastern  and 
Greek  churches  it  hath  been  invariably  administered 
by  dipping  from  the  first  introduction  of  it  to  this 
day  (4). 

(1)  Gorii  Museum  Etnisctim.  Florenii<e.  X7o7.  Tom.  ii.  Tab.  clxxii. 
Figura  in  sepulcliro  ■maronoreo. 

(2)  Jac.  Basnat^'ii  Thesaur.  ,Monu')nent.  eccle.i  et  historic,  sive  HenricJ 
Caiiisli  lectioiies  antiq.  digest  Atitverpine.  1725.  1  r,m.  i.  Ci.p.  v.  De  r.tibiis. 
Jam  satis  cle  imnnersione,  quze  per  tredecim  S3eci;ia  perseveravil  dictum. 
Nut\c  de  nuniero  immersionum. 

(3)  Martini  Gerherti.  .S".  B/asii  Abbot.  Vetus  liturg.  Aicman.  Tjpis 
San-BlLii;ianis.  1776.  Tom.  ii.  Disq.  v  Cap.  i  Be  baptismo-  Tab  vi. 
Baptivn.us  Cliristi.  -  -  -  Naan-an  se  lavars.  Tab.  %'ii.  Vna  S.  Ncolai. 
Infantum  baplisma.    Ex  rotulo  bibl.     Casanatcnsis  Romx.  n.  3.  &c. 

(4)  Dr.   King's   Jiites  of  the  Greek  church.     Euchdogion.     Tzanfurnari 

Menologia. 

18 


138  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

Before  the  history  of  hifont  baptism  be  investigated, 
it  is  above  all  things  necessary  to  define  the  terms,  es- 
pecially the  word  infant.  The  necessity  of  doing  so  is 
obvious  :  for,  on  the  one  hand,  divines,  who  defend 
zVz/?^/??' baptism,  do  so  by  proving  the  antiquity  o{  pcedo- 
baptism  ;  and,  on  the  other,  undoubted  moimments 
shew  that  nAis  did  not  signify  a  natural  infant,  and  that 
Christians  in  the  fifth  cejitury  did  baptize  boys.  Many 
such  will  be  mentioned  hereafrer  :  at  present  two  may 
serve  to  prove  that  a  definition  of  terms  is  suggested 
not  by  caprice,  but  by  a  real  state  of  flicts. 

The  first  is  a  Greek  isiscription  on  a  sepulchral  mon= 
ument,  which  was  taken  out  of  the  church-yard  of  St. 
Agnes  at  Rome,  and  was  first  published  by  that  learn- 
ed antiquary,  Raphael  Fabretti,  and  since  with  amend- 
ments by  Montfaucon.  In  this,  a  child  of  eight  years 
and  five  months  old  is  called  7r«<^«;. 

MHNO'DIAON   TA'^OC   OTTOC   EKEI    nOArnENOEA 
nAIAA    ON    XAPITwN    TFICC^N    nANEOHPATON 
EIAOC    EXONTA    AINOTOK£2N    ^aiH    (fONOC    HP- 

nace  non  ka0opate  oktf2  monioc  etecin 
:;ebi«kata  mecite  oente.* 

This  tomb  contains  Mcnophilus,  an  infant^  to  he  la- 
juented  ivith  many  tears  :  'vohom,  adorned  with  the  beau- 
ty of  the  three  graces^  cruel  fate  snatched  away  from 
his  iinj or  tunate  parents.  Here  you  behold  him  ^  who  lived 
eight  years  and  fi^ue  months  (5). 

The  second  is  a  Roman  inscription  published  by 
Father  Mabillon,  who  received  it  from  Fabretti,  while 
he  was  making  that  collection,  which  he  afterward 
made  publick.  This  speaks  of  the  baptism  of  a  child 
of  six  years  of  age  in  the  fifth  century.  The  learned 
and  ingenuous  father  inserted  it  in  a  small  but  inestima- 
ble treatise  addressed  to  his  brethren  to  direct  the  stud- 
ies of  young  monks,  and,  among  many  other  curious 
articles,  he  advises  them  to  take  hints  from  such  monu- 
ments as  this,  and  inquire  why  the  primitive  Christians 
deferred  baptism,  and  whether  infaiU  biptism  were 
practised  before  the  fifth  century.  This  is  the  inscrip- 
tion (6) 

*  In  this  inscription  C  is  used  for  S.         Editor'. 

(5)  Mnntfancon  It  a  I.  p    VA. 

(6)  MabUlon  Traite  des  etudes  Monastiques.  A  Paris.  1691.  pag.  561. 
Slecle  V. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  139 

5JATU  SEVERI  NOMINE  PASCASIUS 

DIES  PA'^CALES  PRID    NOV.  APRIL  N 

DIE  JOBIS  11.  CONSTANTINO 

ET  RUFO  VVCC'CONSS.  QUI  VIXIT 

ANNOR.  VI.   PERCEPIT 

XI.   KAL.  MAIAS  ET  ALBAS  SUAS 

OCTABAS  PASCAE  AD    SEPULCHRUlSf 

DEPOSUIT  Dim.   KAL.  MAI.  FL  BASILIO 

VT~C.  CONS. 

This  inscription  says,  Paschasius  was  born  on  the 
fourth  of  April  in  the  year  four  hundred  and  fifty  seven, 
Constantine  and  Rufus  being  consuls  :  that  he  was 
baptized  at  Easter  on  the  twenty  first  of  April  in  the 
year  four  hundred  and  sixty-three,  in  the  consulship  of 
Basil:  and  that  eight  days  after,  he  gave  up  his  life 
along  with  his  white  baptismal  garnnents,  being  six 
years  of  age.  It  is  in  such  monuments  as  these,  and 
not  in  vague  lexicons,  or  in  the  treacherous  disputations 
of  polemical  writers,  that  the  history  of  ecclesiastical 
rites  is  to  be  sought  ;  and  the  present  inquiry  seems  on 
this  principle  not  improper. 

It  is  generally  supposed,  the  baptism  of  children  was 
first  mentioned  at  Carthage  in  the  third  centiuy,  and 
Tertullian,  who  first  mentioned  it,  wrote  a  book  to 
shew  the  reasonableness  of  baptizing  as  the  church  af 
Carthage  did,  and  to  expose  the  impropriety  of  baptiz- 
ing children.  Hence  it  is  inferred,  that  some  Chris- 
tians in  the  third  century  did  baptize  infants,  although 
the  church  at  Carthage  did  not.  There  is,  also,  a  re- 
port, that  infants  had  been  baptized  before  this  time  at 
Alexandria  (7).  The  flicts  will  be  examined  in  their 
proper  places  :  now,  it  is  only  observed  in  general, 
that,  supposing  infasits  were  baptized  in  the  early  ages 
of  the  church,  the  terms  ought  to  be  defined.  Baptism 
in  the  third  century  signified  dippings  and  infant-bap- 
tism was  the  dipping  of  an  infant :  but  the  meaning  of 
the  word  infant  cannot  be  determined  when  it  stands 
alone,  or  when  it  is  connected  with  baptism  only  :  for 
the  question  will  always  be  asked.  Who  is  an  infant  ? 
Is  it  a  natural  infant,  or  is  it  an  infant  in  law,  that  is,  a 
~minor  ?  If  it  signify  a  minor,  it  may  stand  for  an  infant. 


(7)  Dr.  Wall's  Hi itory  of  Infant  Baptism.    Origen,"  "Tertullian, 
NazianSifn,  ij'c. Vossii  Theses,  De  Baptismo. 


140  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

and  it  may  not,  and  circumstances  must  be  examined  to 
determine  the  point.  Now,  there  are  lour  unquestiona- 
bic  evidei  ces  of  the  position,  that  the  words  infant, child, 
and  all  odiers  synonymous,  as  ttx^, /s^i^og,  /^^ipvxxiov,  puer, 
puerukis,  parvulus,  infans,  infaniulus,  cilj ,  lyrlin^, 
barne,  figiiulo,  piccierillo,  infiinte,  infanta,  mlanzo, 
enfant,  and  so  on,  are  used  indiscriminately  for  minors. 
These  evidences  are  manuscripts,  books,  inscriptions, 
and  laws. 

To  begin  with  manuscripts.  The  learned  and  inde- 
fatigable Muratori,  in  his  inestimable  treasure  of  Italian 
antiquities  of  the  middle  ages,  hath  furnished  a  great 
many  examples,  of  which  the  three  following  may  suf- 
fice at  present  (8). 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  Abald,    a    little 

INFANT    of  Lucca. 

In  the  name  of  God-  -  -  -  in  the  twenty-firs^  year  of 
the  reign  of  our  Lord  Charles  by  the  grace  of  God  king 
of  the  Franks  and  Lombards I  Adald,  the  little  in- 
fant son  of  Waltper,  being  sick  and  in  danger  of  death, 
considering  in  myself  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God,  for 
the  redemption  of  my  soul,  and  according  to  a  statute 
of  King  Liutprand  of  holy  memory,  offer  to  God,  and 
to  the  church  of  blessed  S.  Martin-  -  my  house--  out- 
houses, gardens,  lands,  vineyards,  oliveyards,  woods, 
underwoods,  meadows,  pastures,  cultivated  and  uncul- 
tivated, and  all  my  effects  movable -and  immovable,-- 
and  also  my  house  at  -  -  and  also  my  house  at  -  -  and  also 
all  other  rights  whatsoever  and  wheresoever  -  - 1  offer  as 
aforesaid,  and  confirm  by  this  deed,  which  Ghislebert 
wrote  at  my  request.  Done  at  Lucca  in  the  year  of 
Christ  seven  hundred  and  ninety-four. 

Witness  my  hand  Adald,  who  ordtred  this  deed  to 
be  made. 

I  Gumpert  presbyter,  being  desired  by  Adald  the 
little  infant,  subscribe  as  a  witness. 

I  Asprand  presbyter,  being  desired  by  Adald  the 
little  infant^  subscribe  as  a  witness. 

I  Pascal  presbyter,  being  desired  by  Adald  the 
little  infant^  subscribe  as  a  witness. 

(8)  Muratorii.  Antiq.    Ital.    Medii  xvi.    Medial.  1738.  et  ann.  seqq. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  14J 

I  Ghisprand,  at  the  request  of  Adald  the  little  infant^ 
subscribe  as  a  witness. 

I  Erminari  presbyter,  being  desiied  by  Adald  the 
little  infant,  subscribe  as  a  witness  (9). 

The  last  will  and  testament    of  tlie    little   infant 
Count  Gaifer. 

I  2^  young  infant  under  age,  named  Gaifer,  Count,  son 
of  the  late  Count  Landoar  -  -  by  this  deed  offer  to  God, 
and  to  the  famous  church  of  S.  Mary  -  -  my  estate  at  -  -  - 
&.C Done  at  Salerno  in  the  year  one  thousand  (l). 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  the  little  infant 
Hubert. 

Be   it  known   that   I   Hubert,  a  little  irfant,   called 

Melio,  the  son  of  Hugh  of  the  race  of  the  Saracens 

and  so  on.     Dated  one  thousand  eighteen  (2). 

In  all  these  places  the  word  is  infantulus^  which  an- 
swers to  the  Greek  /3§s(pvAA<ev,  the  one  diminutive  of  ifi- 
Jans,  the  other  of  /s^etpo? :  words,  say  lexicographers,  so 
little  that  there  are  none  less,  and  of  course  they  must  be 
rendered  bahe.  No,  in  Italy,  in  the  middle  ages,  they 
must  not  be  rendered  babe,  but  minor.  In  a  future 
part  of  this  work  it  will  be  proved,  that  the  ordinary 
infant  bai)tism  of  Italy  in  the  middle  ages  was  the  bap- 
tism of  minors  who  were  taught  before  they  were  bap- 
tized, and  who,  in  a  country  where  they  were  allowed  in 
certain  cases  to  alienate  their  property,  were,  very  con- 
sistently, supposed  capable  of  choosing  a  religion,  and 
of  disposing  of  themselves  (3). 

Books  are  a  second  class  of  evidences.  The  evan- 
gelist Luke  observes,  in  the  prologue  to  his  gospel,  that 
many  had  taken  in  hand  to  set  forth  the  history  of  Jesus. 
Several  spurious  books  entitled  gospels  and  epistles 
were  published  in  the  East.  Some  of  these  apocryphal 
writings  were  attributed  to  Jesus,  others  to  the  evangel- 
ists,  one  to  James,  another  to  Nicodemus,   and  one  to 

(9)  Tom.v.  Adaldiis  j«/«;in(/ui  Lucensis,  ex  aegiitudine  decumbens,  io- 
mus  nonnuUaset  agros  majori  ecclesix  Lucensi  S  Martini  donat .  -pag.  619. 

(1)  Fuf^.  621.  Eg'o  infantulm  infra   xtate  nomine  Gaii'erio  comes,  filius 

quondam    Landoarii    comitis per  banc  cbarlulam   obtulimus  Deo  et 

ipsae  ecclesiac  SanctK  Marix Actum  Salerno  An.  1000. 

(2)  Pag.   622.  (3)  See  Chap,  xxvii. 


142  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

Thomas,  which  was  entitled,  The  gospel  of  the  in^ 
FANCY  OF  Christ.  Such  a  book  is  mentioned  by 
Irenaeus,  Epiphanius,  Origen,  Eusebius,  Cyril,  and 
other  early  writers.  They  censure  it  as  a  spurious 
M^ork  full  of  idle  tales,  and  the  production  of  some  here- 
tick.  Whether  the  book,  which  iio^v  bears  this  title, 
be  the  original  is  very  doubtful  :  but,  certain  it  is, 
cither  this,  or  one  like  it  under  the  same  title,  was 
handed  about  in  the  earliest  times  in  several  languages 
through  all  the  East.  Coteleri  is  pablisned  a  Greek 
version  of  it  (4).  Sike  published  an  Arabick  version  (5). 
De  la  Browse  in  his  Persick  lexicon  quotes  a  passage 
from  a  Persick  copy  (6).  The  book  itself  is,  as  the 
fathers  have  described  it,  a  fabulous  account  of  miracles 
performed  by  Jesus  in  his  inf  mcy,  and  Fabricius,  who 
published  it  from  the  version  of  Cotelerius,  hath  prefix- 
ed the  opinions  of  divines  ancient  and  modern  concern- 
ing it  (7).  One  of  these  is  that  eminent  criiick  father 
Simon,  who  allows  the  very  high  antiquity  of  this  and 
similar  books  on  the  infancy  of  Jesus,  although  he  cen- 
sures the  writers  of  them  (8).  The  book  needs  no  refuta- 
tion, and  it  is  mentioned  here  only  for  the  sake  of  ob- 
serving the  sense  of  the  words  ^«<5,  Trcuhov,  ?r«<^<y-«,  infans, 
infancy,  among  early  eastern  Chribtians.  i'ne  writers, 
whoever  they  were,  evidently  intended  to  fill  up  an  appar- 
ent chasm  in  the  evangelical  history  of  the  life  of  Jesus. 
Here  are  accounts,  such  as  they  are,  of  what  he  did  at 
play  with  other  children  ;  what  he  did  at  five  years  of 
age  ;  what  at  seven  ;  what  to  the  dyer,  to  whom  his 
mother  put  him  to  learn  the  art  of  dying:  in  a  word,  it 
is  a  fabulous  history  of  a  minorit3'  (9). 
The  style  of  writing,  however,  is  strictly  just  and  accurate, 
as  innumerable  instances  would  prove,  were  it  necessary 
to  produce  them.     One  from  an  imperial  historian  may 

(4)  Evangellum   iiifantiae    Chrlsti,  adscriptum    Thoinoe   apostolo  .■  Gneee 
cum  versione  Cotelerii. 

(5)  Evangelium  infantisc.  (6)  Ibid.  pag-.  55. 

(7)  Fabricii  Cod.  Apoc.   Hamburgi.  1703.     Liber  de  pueritia  et  tniraculis 
Domini  et  Sahatoris  nostri  Jesit  Christi.     Aoyos  £*j  rcc  'rxi^ix.x  KXt  fiiyctMiu, 

(8)  Simon  Hist.  Crit. 

(9)  Evang.  Cap.  ii.      t»  y«g   7r««5«ey  I«9«?  HENTAETHS  y^vo^si^os. 
'  -  ••  Cap.  xxxvi. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  143 

serve.    Nicephorus  Bryennius  Csesar,  who  married  Anna 

Coiniiena,  diiUghter  of  the  emperor  Alexias,  wrote  an. 
history  to  set  forth  the  just  title  of  his  father-ia-law  to  the 
crown,  and  the  glory  of  his  reign  to  the  enij)ire.  He 
begins  by  relating  the  demise  of  Manuel  Comnenus, 
who  left  the  care  of  his  two  sons,  Isaac  and  John,  both 
minors,  to  Bd-.iiius.  In  a  concise  and  elegant  manner 
he  describes  the  education  of  the  princes,  and  the  care 
taken  by  B  isiHus  to  provide  them  the  two  sorts  of  tu- 
tors necessary  to  the  education  of  noble  Greeks :  ped- 
agogues to  cultivate  their  minds ;  and  pedotribes  to  fo-m 
their  bodily  exercises.  The  princes  are  called  -^xiht^ 
their  companions  sons  of  noble  families  are  named  Trxihg, 
the  cnltivat^or  of  their  minds  is  3r«s«§«y«y85,  the  riding-mas- 
ter is  TTut^oT^iQns  (1).  Hence  it  i,  ea^)  to  infer,  that  who- 
ever first  (icscjibtd  the  baptism  of  natural  infants  by  the 
Greek  word/^^^-Zo-baptism  made  a  very  :nvkv\ard  choice. 
The  word  is  compounded  of  ttxXs  and  (ixT^Tio-fcx.^  and  when 
it  is  put  for  English  infant  baptism,  it  is  used  in  a  sense 
totally  different  from  that  of  the  Greeks,  with  whom 
pedagogue,  pedotribe,  pedo-baptist,  signified  the  tutor, 
the  gymnastick,  the  baptizer  of  a  Greek  infant,  that  is, 
a  minor.  Could  it  be  ascertained  that  the  primitive 
Greeks  practised  pedo-baptism,  it  would  not  immediate- 
ly follow  that  they  baptized  new-born  babes. 

Books  use  the  same  words  in  various  figurative  and 
allusive  senses.  John  Zonarus,  a  man  of  rank  and 
learning,  who  flourished  in  the  twelfth  century,  first  in 
the  court  of  the  Comneni,  and  then  in  a  monastery  where 
he  retired,  wrote  an  history  entitled  Annals.  Speaking 
of  the  emperor  Romanus,  he  says,  he  was  called  Ro- 
manus  the  infant,  5r«;;5;o»,  not  on  account  of  his  age,  for 
he  was  a  man,  but  to  distinguish  him  from  his  grand- 
father, who  was  of  the  same  name  ;  and,  he  adds,  the 
emperor  might  very  properly  be  so  called  for  his  boyish 
manners  (2). 

The  same  writer  published  a  comment  on  eighty-five 
canons  commonly  attributed  to  the  apostles,  and  received 

(1)  Nicephorl  Caesaris  Bryennii  Commentarii  dc  rebus  Byzantinis.  Edit. 
Petri  Possini.  ParisHe    1661. 

(  )  ]^&nn\<i  Z<>n-d\-x.  Anyia'es.  Interprefe  Hieronyme  Welphio,  ct  nof<Jf<we 
Carolo  du  frcsne.  Parisus.  1686.  Lib.  xvi.  23. 


144  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

by  the  Greek  church  as  rules  of  action.  He  begins  the 
preftice  with  a  quotation  from  the  Greek  version  of  the 
Psahns  :  -Tlie  entrance  of  thy  -words  gheth  light  and  un- 
derstanding  to  infants  (3).  He  expounds  tins  not  of 
infants  in  years  bat  in  understanding,  which  is  evidently 
the  true  meaning  of  the  word,  a!id  the  English  transla- 
tors understood  it  so,  and  rendered  it  properly  the  sim- 
ple (A).  Lona-  before  the  time  of  Zonaras,  Ambrose 
Autpert,  a  native  of  Provence,  arid  abbot  of  the  mon- 
asiery  of  Saint  Vincent  in  Italy,  who  flourished  in  the 
eighth  centurv,  published  a  commentary  on  the  apoca- 
lypse, cnixxX^d  Speculum  parvulorum,  the  mirror  of //^ 
tie  ones,  that  is,  the  simple  (5).  Many  more  such  in- 
stances mi^ht  l>e  given.  Books,  therefore,  use  the 
words  literally  for  a  minor  in  years,  and  figuratively  ior 
an  imperfection  of  knowledge,  a  sort  of  infancy  oi  the 
mind,  a  puerility  of  manners,  and  so  on. 

Inscriptions  make  a  third  class  of  evidences.  Out  ol 
a  great  number  two  may  suffice.  The  learned  lather 
Montiaucon  hath  exhibited  one,  of  many  seinilchral 
monuments  of  the  Greeks,  which  describes  different 
stages  of  infancy.  The  first  figure  is  that  ot  a  babe  wrap- 
ped in  swaddling  clothes,  and  lying  in  the  lap  of  the 
parent  who  is  sitting  in  a  car.  The  second  sheu  s  the 
parent  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  child  sittini^  up  on 
the  knee,  as  if  grown.  The  third  represents  him  on 
the  ground  playine  with  a  kind  of  go-cart  with  two 
wheels.  The  fourth  describes  him  at  play  with  some 
birds,  as  having  arrived  at  a  further  period  (6)  What 
would  an  history  of  the  baptism  of  an  infant  mean,  when 
tnfency  includes  persons  so  different,  and  the  term  cov- 
ers more  than  twenty  years  of  life  ? 

The  following  is  a  rude  inscription  of  the  eighth  cen- 
tury  at  Naples. '  It  says,  Basil  the  son  of  Silibud  and 
Gregoria  lost  his  life  in  the  twelfth  year  of  his  infancy. 
The  antique  form  of  the  letters  cannot  be  expressed 
here. 

(3)  Psal.  cxix.  130. 

(4)  Zonavje  in  Canon.  Apost.  Coinment.  Parisiis.  1558.  11.  "hnT^UTH,  &C. 

(5)  Hist.  Literaire  de  la  France.  Tome.  iv.  A  Paris   l7o8.  pag.  146. 

(6)  aiontfaucon.  Supplement- de  I'  antiqwue^fpllqude.  Paris.  1724.  Tom.  v. 


cf  infant  baptism.  145 

credo  quia  redemptor  meus  bibit*  et  in  nobissimo 
die  de  terra.  suscitabit  me  et  in  carne  mea  videbo 
deum  mkuyi  egobasilius  filius  silicudi  et  gregoria 
conjugem  ejus  du\i  irem  in  mand  \tum  ipsorum 
malus  homo  adprehenditme.et  portabi 1  me  in  ribum 
et  occisit  me  mortem  crudelem  in  infantim  my.je. 
annorum  z)j70d£c/.kf  in  indictione  quarta  decima 
vigesima  sexta  (7). 

Translation: 

I  believe  that  my  Redeemer  lives,  and  in  the  last  day  will  raise  me  up 
from  the  grave,  and  in  my  flesh  I  shall  see  my  God  ;  I,  Basil,  son  of 
Silibud  and  Gregoria  his  wife  ;  while  I  was  behaving  myself  like  a  duti- 
ful child,  a  wicked  man  caught  me  and  carried  me  into  a  river  where  he 
put  me  to  death  in  a  cnxel  manner,  in  the  nvelfth,  year  of  iny  infancy,  ijfc, 

{Ed. 

A  fourth  class  of  proofs  is  taken  from  laws.  I'hese 
ought  to  be  divided  into  four  sorts  :  imperial  ;  goth- 
ick  ;  ecclesiastical  ;  and  monastick.  It  is  a  part  of 
natural  justice  to  take  care  of  infants,  and  all  nations 
have  lound  it  necessary  both  to  guard  the  tender  age 
of  infancy  by  express  law,  and  to  fix  a  moment  when 
care  passes  from  the  guardian  to  the  ward. 

In  the  present  case  it  is  unnecessary  to  inquire  into 
the  moment  of  majority  in  the  empire  before  the  institu- 
tion of  baptism  (8).  After  the  division  of  it  into  an 
eastern  and  a  western  empire,  the  law  in  both  fixed 
twenty-five  years  as  the  term  of  infancy  (9).  The 
question  of  baptizing  an  infant,  or  a  person  under  age, 
was  first  agitated,  where  it  might  most  naturally  be  ex- 
pected, in  the  writings  of  an  eminent  Christian  Lawyer, 
who,  for  wise  poliiical  reasons,  objected  against  it  on 
account  of  its  interference  with  sponsion  (l). 

When  the  northern  nations  dismembered  the  empire, 
and  settled  themselves,  the  Vandals,  the  Goths,  the 
Lombards,  the  Franks,  the  Burgundians,  the  Saxons, 
and  the  rest,  (who  may  all  be  considered  as  of  one  fami- 
ly) guarded  their  minors  by  express  laws  of  their  own, 

*  In  this  inscription,  in  bibit,  and  a  number  of  other  words,  B  is  used 
for'y^  nditor. 

(7)  Gul.  Fleetwood  Inscript.  Antiq.  Sylloge.  Par.  ii.  Monument.  Chris- 
*'«»!.  pag.  520.  Londhii  1691.  Not.  Neapoli. 

(8)  Gronovii  Thesaur.  Antiqmtat.  Graecar.  Ludg.  Batav.  1697.  et  am.  seqq. 
Tom.  viii. 

(9)  BASIAIKJ2N  BIBAIA2  lidit.  Car.  Annlbal  Fabroti.  Paris.  1647. 
Tom.  i.  Lib.  x.  I'it.  iv.     De  restitutions  minonim. 

\1)  TertuUian.  de  baptismo. 

19 


14TS  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

and  fixed  the  expiration  of  infancy  at  eighteen,  twenty, 
or  twenty-five  years  of  age,  during  which  period,  differ- 
ent in  different  governments,  minors  were  called  infants, 
little  infants,  infantuli,  and  so  on  (2).  Hence  in  all 
these  states,  laws  for  the  maintenance  of  infants  of 
twelve  years  of  age, the  nullity  of  the  marriage  of  an  infant 
except  on  certain  occasions  ;  the  alienation  of  property 
by  an  infant :  the  punishment  of  an  infant  for  killing  a 
man ;  and  so  on.  Among  the  Lombards,  an  infant  in 
time  of  scarcity  might,  if  he  were  in  danger  of  perishing 
for  want,  alienate  his  property  :  and  he  might  if  in  dan- 
ger of  death  alienate  to  endow  the  church  :  but  his  do- 
ing so  did  not  make  him  of  age,  and  he  could  not  alien- 
ate to  the  king  on  any  pretence  whatever,  nor  could  the 
king  give  what  they  called  a  thinx,  a  thingatio^  a  laiine- 
chiiiU^  quid  pro  quo  (3).  A  Lombard  infancy  expired 
at  eighteen  by  a  law  of  king  Liutprand.  In  those  times 
infant  baptism  was  an  affair  of  the  utmost  consequence, 
on  account  of  its  connexion  with  the  person  and  property 
of  the  infant,  and  it  was  disputed  accordingly  between 
the  Trinitarian  Roman  Catholicks,  and  the  Unitarian 
Goths. 

Ecclesiastical  laws  respecting  infants,  that  is,  minors, 
are  extremely  numerous,  and  among  other  things  con- 
cern the  catechizing  of  them,  and  in  express  terms  en- 
join the  instruction  of  them  previous  to  baptism,  and 
the  administration  of  baptism  by  immersion  (4). 

Father  Martene,  one  of  the  most  indefatigable  collec- 
tors of  monastical  antiquities,  hath  comprised  in  a  nar- 
row compass  from  a  variety  of  authentick  monuments 
of  Italy,  Germany,  England,  and  France,  the  laws  by 
which  infant  monks  were  governed.  The  code  was 
called  the  discipline  of  the  infants^  or  the  discipline  of 
the  boys,  the  harnes^  the  catechislings :  in  the  choir,  in 
the  cloister,   in  the  refectory   or   eating-room,    in   the 

(2)  Frld.  Lindenbrogli  Codex  legum  antiquar.  in  quo  continentur  leges 
Wisi^othorum,  edict.  The  odor  id  regis,  Lex  Burgundior.  Lex  Salica,  Lex  At- 
aman, i^c.    Francofurt.  1613. Longobardor.  Leg.  Liutprandi  L.  Ixiv. 

Be  tetate  infantum.  ,         „...,.  ^         ,. 

(3)  Muratorii  Antiq.  Itat.  Tom.  v.  Notx  tn  leges  Pippini,  Lmtprandi, 
&c.     De  estate.  .   ~ 

(4)  Ordo  Roman.  Be  Sabbato  Sancto Qiialiter  catechizantur  tntantet 

-  - .  Interim  autem  diim  lectiones  leguntur,  presbyteri  catechizent  infantes 

et  prsparent  ad  baptizandum Dioet  banc  orationem  ad  catechizandos 

infantes Deinde  pontifex  baptizet  unum  de  ipsis  infantibtts Ibi 

baptizentur  jftorva//,  &c. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  147 

kitchen  and  scullery,  in  the  dormitory  or  sleeping. room, 
in  the  infirmary,  in  the  lavatory  laundry  or  washing- 
room,  and  every  where  else.  Each  article  is  adjusted 
with  the  utmost  precision,  as  lessons,  hymns,  and  pro- 
cessions, the  shaving  of  their  crowns,  the  correction 
with  the  rod,  and  some  other  articles  too  indelicate  to 
be  mentioned  (5).  The  whole  proves  beyond  all  con- 
tradiction that  the  term  infancy  signified  nonage  in 
general. 

The  same  language  prevails  in  all  modern  laws. 
Hence  the  late  learned  Judge  Blackstone  says,  *'  Infan- 
cy is  nonage,  which  is  a  defect  of  the  understanding. 
Infants  under  the  age  of  discretion  ought  not  to  be  pun- 
ished by  any  criminal  prosecution  whatever.  What  the 
age  of  discretion  is,  in  various  nations,  is  matter  of 
some  variety  (6)."  In  this  country  twenty-one  is  gen- 
erally understood  to  be  the  period  of  minority,  but  in 
France  twenty -five  is  the  usual  term  fixed  for  the  expira- 
tion of  infancy,  which  however  admits  of  exceptions  (7). 

Such  being  the  language  of  manuscripts,  books,  in- 
scriptions, and  laws,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  remark 
the  general  conformity  of  the  popular  style  to  the  legal 
sense  of  the  word,  though  nothing  can  be  more  vague 
than  the  popular  use  of  all  the  words  that  belong  to  the 
subject,  nor  can  any  thing  less  conclusive  be  imagined 
than  arguments  derived  from  single  vague  equivocal 
terms. 

Child.  Established  rituals  introduce  the  baptism  of 
babes  with  the  words  of  Mark.  They  brought  young 
Children  to  Christ  (8).  Others  quote,  in  affirmation  of 
the  same  practice,  a  passage  in  Acts.  The  promise  is 
to  you  and  to  your  children  (9).  Both  are  single  words 
in  a  book,  which  uses  the  term  for  posterity^  without 
the  least  regard  to  the  age  of  any  one,  as  children  of 
Israel Children  of  Benjamin Children  of  prom- 
ise -  -  -  -  Children  of  men Children  of  God 

Children  of  light,  and  so  on  (I).     In  this  book  one  of  at 

(5)  Edm.  Martene  De  Antiq.  Monachorum  ridbus  Tom.  i.  Lvgd.  169Q, 
Prcefat.  Lib.  v.  Cap.  v.     De  puerorum  oblatione  et  disciplina. 

(6)  Commentaries  on  the  Laivs  of  England.     Book  iv.  Chap.  ii. 

(7)  Hint  du  Droit  pub.  ecclesiast.     Francois.     Tom   i. 

(8)  Mark  x.  13.  (9)   Act.s  ii.  38,  30. 

(I)     Israel,  Exod.  xii.  37.  Benjamin,  Num.  i.  36 Tromise,  Rom.  ix. 

8.  -  -  -  =  Men,  Gen.  xi.  5 God,  Matl.  v.  9. Lig'ht,  Luke  xvi.  18. 


148  or    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

least  sixteen  years  of  age  is  called  a  child^  and  another 
of  thirty  a  child,  a  little  one  (2). 

The  word  child  is  of  Cehick  original,  and  it  exacdy 
answers  to  the  general  idea  of  offspring,  descendants,  or 
posterity,  but  can  by  no  means  be  understood  of  any 
precise  age.  "  Child  is  from  ac-hil-id,  he  is  from  our 
race  or  our  offspring  (3)."  Before  the  reformation,  in 
the  year  fifteen  hundred  sixteen,  there  was  a  folio  book 
jjublished,  entitled  NoDa  legenda  Anglic,  printed  by 
Wynkyn  de  Worde  at  the  signe  of  the  Sun  in  Fleet- 
street,  London  (4).  It  contains  the  histories  of  the 
lives  and  miracles  of  British  saints,  or  of  saints  whose 
lives  were  connected  with  Tritish  story,  alphabetically 
disposed,  beginning  with  the  life  of  Saint  Adrian  Abbot 
at  Canterbury,  and  ending  with  that  of  Bishop  Wulstan. 
The  life  of  King  Edgar  came  to  hand  too  late  to  be  in- 
serted in  its  place,  and  it  is  subjoined  to  that  of 
Wulstan.  This  book,  which  is  a  complete  legend  of 
British  saints,  is  a  fair  specimen  of  all  writings  of  this 
kind,  and  it  exhibits  variety  of  proof  of  the  vague  and 
indeterminate  use  of  the  words  under  examination.  In 
the  life  of  Adrian,  school  boys  are  called /jwm  .•  par'vuli  : 
Saint  Hugh,  a  child  of  about  eight  years  of  age,  is  called 
puer  :  and  Bede  is  called  puer,  when  he  was  taken  into 
the  monastery  at  seven  years  of  age,  and  yet  the  next 
stage  of  his  life  is  called  his  infancy, 

A  clergion  is  a  young  clerk :  a  young  student. 
Strictly  speaking,  a  child  was  infant  till  seven,  and  pi/er 
till  fourteen  :  but  the  order  is  not  preserved,  and  the 
whole  minority  is  called  infancy,  childhood. 

Such  is  in  general  the  vague  language  of  ecclesiastical 
writers  :  but  when  they  fix  the  sense  of  the  terms  by  re-, 
porting  circumstances,  the  narration  is  in  disfavour  of  the 
baptism  of  babes.  Near  the  close  of  the  sixth  century  a 
monk  named  Junian  founded  an  abbey  of  Benedictines  at 
Maire  L'  Evescaut  in  France,  and  of  course  was  Abbot 
of  the  house.  One  day  as  he  was  at  prayer,  in  a  time 
of  great  scarcity,  a  poor  woman,  who  was  pregnant, 
came  to  ask  relief.     Junian  supplied  her  wants,  and  in- 

(2)  Joseph.  Gen.  xxxvii.  oO. Benjamin,  xliv.  20, 

(3)  R   Jones,  Esq.    The  Origin  of  Language  and  Nations After  the 

method  of  an  English,   Celtick,  Greek  and  Latin-English  Lexicon.     Lonjipp. 
1764. 

(4)  Noua  Legeda  Anglic, 

V 


OP    INFANT    BAPTISM.  149 

formed  lier  that  she  was  with  child  of  a  son,  and  that  if  she 
would  take  care  of  him,  and  bring  him  to  the  monastery- 
after  he  was  grown  up,  he  would  baptize  him,  and 
make  him  a  scholar,  and  appoint  him  his  successor. 
The  woman  did  as  she  was  directed,  and  when  the 
child  arrived  at  boy's  estate,  that  is,  seven  years  of  age, 
she  carried  him  to  the  monastery,  v^  here  Junian  bap- 
tized him  with  his  own  hands,  became  his  godfather, 
trained  him  up  in  monastical  science,  and  in  the  end 
the  youth  was  ordained  a  priest,  and  succeeded  to  the 
Abbacy-  Such  were  the  children  of  the  middle  ages 
who  received  baptism  :  but  such  as  these  were  not 
babes,  although  they  are  called  in  a  vague  sense 
infants. 

In  this  style  it  would  be  easy  to  shew,  it  was  the  per- 
petual custom  of  this  country  to  express  the  subject  in 
quest  ;  and  as  there  was  no  daiiger,  so  there  is  no  ex- 
ample of  a  mistake,  except  in  the  case  of  baptism. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  a  statute  made  at  Merton, 
says,  "Whatsoever  layman  shall  be  convicted  of  with- 
holding any  child  led  away  or  married,  he  shall  yield  to 
the  loser  the  value  of  the  marriage.  And  for  the  offence 
his  body  shall  be  taken  and  imprisoned  until  he  hath 
recompensed  the  loser,  if  the  chdd  be  married.  This 
must  be  done  of  an  heir  within  the  age  of  fourteen 
years.  And  touching  an  heir  being  fourteen  years  old 
or  above,  until  his  full  age,  if  he  marry  without  license 
of  his  lord  to  defraud  him  of  the  marriage,  and  his  lord 
offer  him  reasonable  and  convenient  marriage  without 
disparagement,  dien  his  lord  shall  hold  his  land  beyond 
the  term  of  his  age,  that  is  to  say,  of  one  and  twenty 
years  (5)."  Again,  in  a  statute  of  Henry  VII.  which 
regulates  the  wages  of  artificers,  labourers,  and  servants, 
it  is  enacted  :  that 

A  chUde  of  the  age  of  xiiii  yere  vi  s.  vesture  pryce 
iii  s.  with  mete  and  drynke. 

Here  are  English  chUdren,  the  poor  at  service  earning 
meat,  drink,  three  shillings  a  year  for  clothes,  and  six 
shillings  for  wages  :  and  the  rich  married,  and  disputing 
with  their  guardians. 

(5)  Stat.  An.  1235.  Hen.  Iii.  xx.  -  -  -  Hen.  VII.  xi.  Cap.  xxiii.  See  in  the 

statutes  the  "words  Enfant age  iy/ant  '  ■    nonage-  ddnsage-^ 

parol,  demur— —cor on— ^aliem,  isf'ci 


150  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

The  free-school  at  Stamford  in  the  county  of  Lincoln, 
was  founded  by  William  Radcliffe,  Esqr.  and  the  act 
of  parliament  for  carrying  into  execution  the  will  of  the 
said  founder,  made  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  begins 
thus,  *'  Forasmuch  as  it  is  a  right  godly  and  charitable 
deed  to  educate  and  bring  up  cliildren  and  youth  as  well 
in  learning  as  also  in  civil  manners ;  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  persons  having  children  be  not  able  to  keep  the 
same  to  school,  therefore  William  Radcliffe,  of  the  town 
of  Stamford,  of  his  godly  zeal  and  good  mind,  intend- 
ing to  found  and  erect  within  the  same  town,  one 
school  wherein  such  poor  young  children  and  infants  be 
freely  taught  in  learning  and  manners  without  taking 
any  salary  or  reward  of  the  parents  of  such  poor  schol- 
ars (6)."  Infant  baptism  like  infant  tuition  implied 
something  more  than  mere  animal  life. 

About  eight  hundred  years  ago  iElfric  wrote  a  gram- 
mar and  a  glossary  for  the  use  of  lun^  cil*:>um  young 
children  (7).  The  learned  editor,  who  first  published  it, 
rendered  the  words  with  the  utmost  propriety  pueros^ 
and  the  book  was  evidently  intended  for  school -boys  : 
and  the  words  of  Chaucer,  just  now  quoted,  are  to  be 
understood  of  such  a  grammar-school. 

There  is  an  English  catechism  printed  by  Edward 
Whitechurch  in  1550,  which  quotes  the  famous  passage 
in  Mark  in  the  title  page,  in  its  true  sense.  "  A  short 
cathechisme.  A  briefe  and  godly  bringinge  up  o{ youths 
in  the  knowlege  and  comaundementes  of  God  in  fayth, 
prayer  and  other  articles,  necessary  to  be  knowen  of  all 
those  that  will  be  partakers  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus 
Christ :  set  forth  in  maner  of  a  Dialooue.  Marc  x. 
Let  the  chyldren  come  vnto  me,  and  forbidde  them  not, 
for  vnto  suche  belongeth  the  kyngdom  of  God." 

That  incomparable  picture  of  ancient  men  and  man- 
ners, the  Northumberland  household  book,  represents 
in  miniature  various  classes  of  the  world  of  ancient 
children.  The  minors  of  the  most  noble  Percy  fomily 
are  called  childre,  chdder^  and  chillder.  There  were 
childeryn  in  offices  in  the  household  :  as  six  childryn 
of  the  chapel a  childe  to  attend  in  the  niircy,  nursery 

(6)  W.  Harrod's  AnUqulties  of  Stamford.  Vol.  ii.  Chap.  iv. — Hospitfxls 
—'Schools — Callises — Stamford  1/85. 

(7)  Gul.  Somneri  ^Ifrici  Gram,  una  cum  JElfriei  Glosanio-.  Pr^fnt, 


or    INFANT    BAPTISM.  151? 

^  -  -  -  achilde  of  the  wairdrobe  —  -a  childe  of  the  hak' 

hoiis a  childe  of  the  squyllery  -  —  and  a   childe  of 

chariote - --'-^^^^^   of  his   lordbhip's    brothers  had  his 

chapleyn  or  his  clerk,  his  childe^  and  his  horskepar 

The  chambrelayn  had  his  chapleyn,  his  clerk,  two  yo- 
men,  a  childe  of  his  chambre,  and  his  horskepar  —  The 
steward  had  his  clerk,  his  childe^  and  his  horskepar  : 
and  so  on  (8).  Such  as  these  are  the  tiney  foot  pages  of 
ancient  song. 

Mr.  Warton  says,  "  Some  criticks  may  be  inclined 
to  deduce  the  practice  of  our  plays  being  acted  by  the 
choir  boys  of  St.  Paul's  church,  and  the  chapel  royal, 
which  continued  till  Cromwell's  usurpation,  irom  the 
entertainments  exhibited  by  boys  on  the  festival  of  the 
hoy-bishop  (9).  Annually,  either  on  the  day  of  St.  Ni- 
cholas, Dec.  6,  or  on  that  of  the  Holy  Innocents, 
Dec.  28,  in  all  the  collegiate  churches  of  France  and 
England,  the  festival  of  the  boy -bishop  was  celebrated. 
One  of  the  children  of  the  choir  was  completely  apparel- 
led in  the  episcopal  vestments,  with  a  mitre  and  a  cros- 
ier, bore  the  title  and  the  state  of  a  bishop,  and  exacted 
canonical  obedience  from  his  fellows  who  were  dressed 
like  priests."  The  jittle  prelate  was  called  the  barne- 
bishop,  the  cAjy/^^c-bishop,  bishop  of  the  boys^  bishop  of 
the  choristers,  bishop  of  the  little  ones{\).  He  and  his 
chapter  performed  divine  offices  in  the  cathedral  in  imi-. 
tation  of  the  bishop  and  his  prebendaries.  After  dinner 
■they  acted  plays  called  miracles,  moraliries,  interludes, 
or  farces,  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  In  one  of  these, 
which  was  composed  by  Bale,  afterward  bishop  of  Os- 
sory,  both  the  words  child  and  baptism  are  used  prop- 
erly. God  the  Father  is  represented  as  sending  John  to 
baptize  :  and  John  gives  his  modest  answer,  which  is 
evidently  taken  from  the  history  of  Jeremiah.  These 
are  the  words  : 

(8)  Pages  42 83 43 86,  &c. 

(9)  Wartons  History  of  English  Poetry.     Vol.  i.  Sect.  vi. 

(1)  Episcopus  puerorum Episcopus  chorisUmm  -  -  -  -  Episcopu* 

fiarvulorum.    Dugd.    Hist.  S.  Paul. 


152  or    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

"  Pater  coeiestis»--]g)?eacf)e  to  tf}e  pcopIe,  retjufe'^ 
^nge  tfteir  negligence 
Doope  tfjem  in  toater,    t|)e|? 
knotoleng^nge  tfieir  ofence 
HnD  fa^  unto  tftem,  tf)e  liing= 
UomofcFotsDotl)  turn. 
Johannes  Baptista.  Hnmete  JLorD  1   am,   Ctuiai 
puer  ego  mim  (2)» 

Sir  John  Hawkins,  who  in  his  celebrated  history  of 
the  science  and  practice  of  rnusick,  hath  omitted  no- 
thing that  could  elucidate  his  subject,  or  exhibit  views 
of  ancient  men  and  manners,  hath  inserted  a  particular 
account  of  the  i?ifa?it  bishops  from  which  it  appears,  that 
the  annual  festival  of  electing  a  child  bishop  from  among 
the  choristers,  according  to  the  usage  of  the  church  of 
Sarum,  was  in  honour  of  St.  Nicholas  (3).  Nicholas 
was  remarkable  in  his  infancy  for  his  piety,  and  for 
knowing  the  scriptures,  as  Timothy  did  in  his  child- 
hood. He  was  afterwards  bishop  of  Myra  in  Lycia, 
and  was  present  in  the  council  of  Nice,  where  it  is  said, 
he  gave  Arius  a  box  on  the  ear.  In  time  he  became 
the  patron  of  young  scholars.  By  the  statutes  of  St. 
Paul's  church  school,  founded  by  Dean  Colet,  it  is  re- 
quired that  the  children  there  educated  "  shall  every 
Childermas  day,  come  to  Paulis  churche,  and  hear  the 
chyldc-bishop  sermon,  and  after  be  at  the  hygh-masse, 
and  each  of  them  offer  a  i.  d.  to  the  childe-byshop^  and 
with  them  the  maisters  and  surveiors  of  the  schole." 
The  infant-bishop  bore  the  name,  dressed  in  the  habits 
and  ornaments,  and  maintained  the  state  of  a  bishop,  as 
the  other  choristers  did  that  of  his  prebendaries,  from 
the  anniversary  of  Saint  Nicholas,  being  the  sixth  day 
of  December,  until  Innocent's  day,  as  it  is  called,  the 
twenty-eighth  day  of  the  same  month.  The  infant-pre- 
late had  an  episcopal  throne  in  the  cathedral,  and  he 
and  his  prebendaries  performed  divine  offices,  and  went 
in  procession,  guarded  from  all  interruption  by  express 
statutes,  which  forbade  all  persons  whatsoever,  under 
pain  of  the  greater  excommunication,  to  interrupt  them. 

(2)  Collection  of  old  plays.  A  tragedye  or  enterlude.  Compyled  by 
Johan  Bale,  1538. 

(3)  Vol.  ii.  Book  i.  Chap,  i  -  • .  ■  Bayle,  Life  of  John  Columna,  or 
Colonna.    Marg,  15.  N.  B, 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  153 

It  appears  also,  that  this  infant  bishop  did,  to  a  certain 
limit,  receive  to  his  own  use,  rents,  capons,  and  other 
emoluments  of  the  church."  It  should  seem,  too,  that 
in  certain  cases  the  infant  bishop  presented  to  prefer- 
ments vacated  in  his  month  :  for  "  a  chorister-bishop  in 
the  church  of  Cambray  disposed  of  a  prebend,  which 
fell  void  in  the  month  or  year  of  his  episcopate,  in  fli- 
vour  of  his  master."  In  the  household-book  of  Henry 
Algernon  Percy,  Earl  of  Northumberland,  which  was 
compiled  so  lately  as  fifteen  hundred  and  twelve,  are 
the  following  entries  :  "  Item,  my  lord  usith  and  ac- 
customyth  yerely,  when  his  lordship  is  at  home,  to  yef 
unto  the  banie- bishop  of  Ee\erlay,  when  he  comith  to 
my  lord  in  Christmas  hallydayes,  when  my  lord  keepeth 
his  hous  at  Lekynfield,  xx  s.  Item,  my  lord  useth  and 
accustomyth  to  gif  yearly,  when  his  lordship  is  at  home, 
to  the  banie-bishop  of  Yorke,  when  he  comes  over  to 
my  lord  in  Christy nmasse  hallydayes,  as  he  is  accus- 
tomed yearly,  XX  s."  In  case  the  little  bishop  died 
within  the  mondi,  his  exequies  were  solemnized  with 
great  pomp,  and  he  was  interred,  like  other  bishops, 
"with  all  his  ornaments.  The  memory  of  this  custom  is 
preserved,  not  only  in  the  ritual  books  of  the  cathedral 
church  of  Salisbury,  but  by  a  monument  in  the  same 
church,  with  the  sepulchral  effigies  of  a  chorister-bish- 
op, supposed  to  have  died  in  the  exercise  of  this  pontif- 
ical of^ce,  and  to  have  been  interred  with  the  solemni- 
ties above  mentioned. 

The  custom  of  instituting  an  anniversary  boy-bishop 
was  not  peculiar  to^the  cathedral  of  Salisbury,  or  to  this 
kingdom  :  it  was  observed  at  Canterbury,  St.  Paul's, 
Colchester,  Westminster,  Eton,  York,  Beverly,  and 
all  the  churches  that  had  cathedral  service,  as  well  as  at 
Antwerp,  Tullus,  Cambray.  These  are  nearly  the 
words  of  that  judicious  antiquary,  Mr.  Gough,  who 
quotes  his  authorities  (4). 

Infant.  The  word  ijifa7it  is  Gothick,  and  of  wider 
extent  than  the  former.  Fa?it,  one  under  die  care  of 
another,  from  affano  I  take  care  (5).  Thus  servants  are 
called  the  masters  infants.  Foot  soldiers  are  the  infantry 
tinder  the  command  of  general  officers.  The  children 
20 

(4)   British  Topography.     Vol.  ii.   Wiltshire,  p,  362. 
^5)  J.  Loccenil  Leg.  Goth,  cum  mt^ 


154  OF    INfANT    BAPTISM. 

of  the  house  of  Spain  are  called  infants.  In  the  Gothick 
laws  a  man's  biflints  were  disqualified  for  sitting  as 
jurymen  in  his  law  suits,  for  being  his  tenants  they 
would  be  tempted  to  be  partial.  So  many  instances  have 
already  been  given  of  the  vague  meaning  of  this  word 
that  it  seems  unnecessary  to  add  any  more  (6). 

Babe.  Even  the  word  babe  is  too  indeterminate  to 
be  quoted  on  this  subject,  as  it  is  not  confined  to  a  cer- 
tain age. 

There  was  near  two  hundred  years  ago  a  singular  old 
man  at  Peterborough  in  Northamptonshire,  whose  mem- 
ory is  yet  preserved  by  a  portrait  at  the  west  end  of  the 
cathedral.  His  name  was  Scarlet.  He  was  sexton 
of  the  church,  and,  as  he  lived  to  the  great  age  of  ninety- 
eight,  he  had  dug  the  graves  of  the  househr.lders  twice 
over,  and  had  interred  two  queens,  Catharine,  whom 
Henry  VUI.  divorced,  and  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  The 
lines  under  his  picture  say,  he  was  a  man  of  great  size 
and  sturdy  in  proportion,  and,  as  his  vibage  was  grim, 
and  his  voice  loud  and  rough,  he  was  known  by  the 
name  of  Old  Scarlet  Scarebabe. 

Second  to  none  for  slrength  and  sturdy  limm, 
A  Scarebabe  migtiJty  voice  with  visage  grim  (7). 

JBabe  here  must  mean  a  child  capable  of  making  obser- 
vations. 

What  then  is  the  baptism  of  children,  bearnes,  infants, 
babes  of  former  times  ?  Nothing  at  all.  The  words 
singly  crumble  all  away  in  the  hands  of  an  investigator  : 
they  may  signify  a  new-born  babe,  or  a  litde  boy  of  sev- 
en, or  a  great  boy  of  fourteen  years  of  age,  or  a  young 
man  turned  of  twenty.  Circumstances  must  determine. 
The  truth  is,  minor  baptism  began  with  young  gentle- 
men under  age  at  the  Alexandrian  academy,  and  in  after 
times  gradually  descended  to  boys  of  seven  years  of  age, 
where  it  stood  many  centuries,  and  at  length  it  settled  on 
babes  of  a  few  days  old  ;  but  this  is  only  to  be  under- 
stood of  Catholick  hierarchies,  for  it  docs  not  appear  that 
those  Christians,  whom  the  domineering  parties  called 
hereticks,  made  any  such  alterations  in  baptism, 

(6)  F.  Linflenbrogii  Cod.  leg.  antlq.  -•Wsr'gotk--  Theodor  -  -  Burgund  -  • 
Ataman  -  -  Ripuar  -  -  Sax,  ijfc.     Francofurt   1613. 

(7)  The  Antiquarian  Repertory^  2d  Edit.  Vol.  i.  p.  52.  London,  1780, 
Obiit  1594.    iEtat  98. 


OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  155 

It  should  not  pass  unobserved  that  if  the  words  above 
mentioned,  particularly  mfant,  be  understood  of  a  mi/zor, 
it  will  remove  a  great  many  difficulties  in  ecclesiastical 
history.  One  example  shall  suffice.  In  the  year  three 
hundred  and  seventy-four  the  church  of  Milan  assembled 
to  elect  a  bishop  instead  of  Auxentius  lately  deceased. 
They  were  divided  into  two  violent  parties,  the  one 
Aria'n,  as  the  last  bishop  had  been,  the  other  Trinitarian, 
and  each  aiming  to  bring  in  a  bishop  of  their  own  sen- 
timents. Disputes  ran^  so  high  that  the  city  was  in  an 
uproar  ;  and  Ambrose  the  governor,  who  was  only  a 
catechumen,  and  therefore  had  no  vote,  went  thither  to 
keep  the  peace.  The  crowd  was  so  great  he  could 
scarcely  get  in  :  but  the  news  of  his  being  come  ran 
about,  and  in  a  little  time  silence  was  ordered,  and  the 
governor  stood  up  to  speak.  He  addressed  the  assembly 
in  a  manner  so  calm,  and  with  so  much  prudence  and 
moderation  recommended  peace  and  freedom  of  election, 
that,  to  his  great  surprise,  the  whole  assembly  shouted. 
Let  Ambrose  be  bishop,  Let  Ambrose  be  bi  hop !  and 
he  found  himself  unanimously  elected.  Thus  Protes- 
tants relate  the  affair  :  but  the  people  of  Milan,  who 
should  know  best,  say,  that  though  their  archives  confirm 
all  this,  yet  they  add  one  circumstance  which  is  omitted 
in  this  account  (ij).  There  it  is  recorded,  that  the  first 
person,  who  exclaimed,  let  Ambrose  be  bishop,  was  an 
infant,  and  the  assembly  only  repeated  the  exclamation. 
•Catholicks  give  this  as  a  miracle  ;  some  Protestants  laugh 
at  it  as  a  forgery  :  but  probably  it  is  neither  a  miracle 
nor  a  forgery,  but  a  true  historical  flict,  and  to  be  under- 
stood of  a  minor.  When  such  a  fact  as  this  is  published 
under  the  direction,  and  with  the  imprimatur  of  the  car- 
dinal archbishop,  the  office  of  the  inquisition,  the  senate 
of  the  city,  and  the  college  of  St.  Ambrose,  it  is  rash  to 
tax  the  author  with  forgery  (9).  The  licensers  for  the 
press  pledge  their  honour  for  the  truth  of  the  record  in 
the  archives,  of  which  the  history  is  a  copy :  but  the 

(8)  Jos.  Ripamontii  e  collegio  Ambrosiano  Hist.  Eccl.  Mediol.  Mediolani. 
1617.  pag.  154. 

(9)  Federicus  Borromeus  CarcUtialis  •  -  decreto  nobis  stipondio  datisque 
Jegibu.s,  Ijfc. 

Imprimatur.    BARioi>Apro  reverendiss.  inquis. 

'Bossius  pro  illust.  D.  Card.  Archiep. 
Saccus  pro  excellent.  Senatu. 
A.  RuscA  Coll.  Ambros.  Prsi".  suo  etcoUegatum  nomine. 


150  OP    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

pretence  of  a  miracle  is  a  mere  opinion  of  the  publisher, 
and  the  holy  office  would  not  tax  an  examiner  with  her- 
esy for  denying  that  it  was  a  miracle,  because  the  church 
hath  not  declared  that  an  article  of  faith.  Let  it  not  seem 
strange  that  such  a  fact  should  be  thought  worthy  of 
a  record.  Here  was  a  violently  contested  election.  The 
publick  safety  was  at  stake.  The  governor  acted  wisely 
to  go  to  the  spot  to  prevent  an  insurrection.  He  had  no 
authority  over  the  consciences  of  the  people  as  a  magis- 
trate. He  had  no  vote  as  a  citizen,  for  it  was  not  a  civil 
affair.  He  had  no  vote  as  a  Christian,  because  though 
his  family  v^ere  all  Christians,  and  had  given  great  ex- 
amples of  piety,  and  though  he  himself  was  a  Christian, 
yet  he  had  not  been  baptized,  and  was  not  a  member  of 
the  church.  He  was,  some  say,  thirty-four,  others  for- 
ty-one years  of  age,  and  all  the  authority  he  had  was 
what  his  prudent  reasoning  as  a  magistrate  gave  him. 
Here  then,  it  should  seem,  was  an  unavoidable  division 
taking  place,  which  no  power  could  prevent.  It  is  not 
supposable  any  young  infants  were  there  ;  but  it  is  very 
credible,  that  a  minor  was  a  member,  and  had  a  vote  at 
the  election  of  a  pastor.  Here  then  lay  the  wonder,  that 
none -of  the  elder  members  or  officers  should  think  to 
nominate  Ambrose,  and  yet  that  a  nomination  made  by 
a  minor,  who  in  civil  offices  could  neither  elect  nor  be 
elected,  should  instantly  appear  so  wise  and  judicious 
tliat  all  parties  at  once  saw  the  propriety  of  it,  and  their 
unanimity  recovered  order,  and  prevented  all  bad  conse- 
quences. Ambrose  was  soon  after  baptized,  and  set- 
tled bishop  of  the  church  (l).  There  are  other  similar 
tales  in  other  histories,  which  probably  owe  their  being 
to  some  true  facts,  and  their  miraculousness  to  a  mis- 
take occasioned  by  the  equivocalness  of  the  terms  in 
which  they  were  recorded.  Thus  infants  are  said  to 
have  nominated  kings  (2),  erected  churches  (3),  com- 
posed hymns  (4),  and  suffered  martyrdom  (5).  A 
monk  half  asleep,  overlooking  an  old  church  register 
with  a  fancy  dreaming  of  mysteries  and  miracles,  on 

(1)  S.  Ambi-os.  Vit. 

(2)  Diiai-dii    Nonii    in    Teix    libel.     Censura.    xliv,    apud  scriptor.  JRet;. 
Mispan.  Tom.  ii.  Franc.  1603. 

(3)  Greg.   Turon.  Ue  Glor.  Mart.  Cap.  Ix. 

(4)  Niceph.  Lib.  xiv.   Cap.  46 Joan.  Damas.  de  Trisagio  coin. 

(5)  Martyfol,    Rom.  Jul.  xiii.   Infantuli    confessores,  isfc.  passim^- " 
Victoris  Fitens.  Hist.  Vand.  pers. 


OP    EXTRAORDINARY    CHILDREN.  157 

finding  such  simple  vague  accounts,  might  very  soon 
confuse  facts  by  composing  declamatory  legends  and 
uttering  them  for  true  histories.  That  this  hath  been 
Jrequently  done  is  beyond  all  doubt. 


CHAP.   XX. 

OF    EXTRAORDINARY    CHILDREN. 

A  FRENCH  writer  truly  remarks,  that  the  capability 
of  children  is  but  little  understood  :  they  are  puerile  be- 
cause their  education  is  puerile.  *'  I  saw,  adds  he,  a  lit- 
tle child  in  the  country,  who  liad  been  under  the  tuition 
of  the  parish  priest,  at  seven  years  of  age  promiscuously 
open  the  Greek  New  Testament,  and  I  heard  him  ex- 
plain it  with  more  facility  than  children  in  general  read 
it  either  in  Latin  or  French.  1  heard  two  other  infants, 
brother  and  sister,  the  one  9  years  of  age,  the  other  11 
or  12,  speak  Greek  and  Latin  perfectly  well,  and  dis- 
pute in  logick  in  both  languages  (i)."  A  little  super- 
stition, of  which  there  are  numberless  curious  instances, 
added  to  such  cases,  handed  baptism  downward  from 
minors  to  babes.  A  very  few  examples  may  serve  to 
give  a  sketch  of  this  subject,  and  a  few  monumentar in- 
scriptions follow. 

[The   inscription  is  in  abbreviated  Latin. — The    following  is  a  correct 
translation.         £d.] 

This  inscrifition  informs  the  reader,  that  Joanna  Bafiiista  De. 
Perusc/iis,  daughter  of  Mexander  Dc  Pcruschis  avd  Beatrix 
Garzei,  mhen  she  was  only  six  months  old,  most  sweetly  and  freely 
fironounced  the  name  of  Jesus  every  daij  before  she  sucked  the 
breast,  and  most  devoutly  adored  the  images  of  the  saints  :  but, 
after  she  had  excited  great  ex/iectancies  of  her  eminent  sanctity, 
she  fed  to  that  Jesus  whom  she  had  used  to  invoke^  being  only  one 
year  eight  months  and  ten  days  old. 

It  is  not  worth  while  to  inquire  whether  the  modern 
dolls  of  little  girls  be  the  successors  of  the  puppet  saints 
of  young  ladies  of  former  ages  :  but  it  may  not  be  im- 
proper to  observe,  that  when,  in  any  church,  the  mere 
uttering  of  certain  words  goes  for  proof  of  an  inward 

(1)  M.  De  Vigneul-Marville*  Melanges  d'historie  et  d\t  litterature.  4 
Paris,  irOl.  Tom.  i.  p.  150. 


158       OF  EXTRAORDINARY  CHILDREN. 

Operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  rational  religion  is  discard- 
ed, enthusiasm  hath  succeeded  to  its  place,  and  inspired 
children  are  fit  subjects  of  baptism.  In  such  a  case 
religion  is  brought  down  very  low  indeed,  and  churches 
are  duly  prepared  for  the  admission  of  these  odd  prop- 
ositions -  -  -  -  extraordinary   invisible   influence  is  a  title 

to  baptism baptism  communicates  grace  —  infants 

are  as  capable  of  baptismal  grace  as  men,  yea,  they  are 
more  so,  because  they  have  nothing  but  original  de- 
pravity to  oppose  against  the  omnipotence  of  grace, 
but  men  have  that  and  actual  sin  beside.  Pity  that 
Protestants  ever  adopted  such  ideas  !  ^ 

It  must  appear  strange  at  first  sight,  that  on  the 
monumental  inscriptions  of  a  church  which  held  the 
doctrine  of  original  sin,  innocence  is  ascribed  to  infants. 
A  little  observation  solves  the  difficulty.  The  church 
held,  that  children  were  born  in  sin,  guilty  of  Adam's 
transgression  :  but  that  baptism  restored  them  to  inno- 
cence. 

It  is  further  observable,  that  the  innocence  supposed 
to  be  acquired  at  baptism  was  attributed  to  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  this  was  represented  by  a  dove. 
When  this  influence  was  bestowed  on  a  babe,  it  was 
called  miraculous,  and  it  is  very  credible  that  in  the 
style  of  those  writers  inira  innocentia,  miraculous  inno- 
cence signified  on  tombs  extraordinary  baptism.  Such 
inscriptions  were  frequently  ornamented  with  doves. 
The  following  is  one  of  this  kind. 

MIRAE  INNOCENTIAE  ANIMA 

DVLCIS  EMILIANVS    QVI 
VIXIT  ANNO  VNO  MENS.  VII. 

D.XVIII  DORMIT  IN  PACE 

Columba  cum  ramo. 

Innocens  and  innocentia  in  inscriptions  are  sometimes 
proper  names  :  and  the  departed  spirit  of  a  person  w  ho 
had  been  restored  to  innocence  by  baptism  is  often 
called  the  innocent  or  the  holy  spirit,  or  the  holy  ghost 
of  such  a  person,  the  inscription  being  intended  to  in- 
form  the  reader  that  the  deceased,  although  born  in  sin, 
had  been  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sin,  and  had  ac- 
quired  innocence  by  baptism.  This  is  called  in  the  ca- 
aon  law  a  distinction,  and  it  is  a  distinction  absolutely 


OF    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA,    &C.  159 

necessary  to  the  history  of  catholick  bapUism,  for  in  the 
church  of  Romc.it  is  expressly  declared  by  law,  that  in- 
nocence is  fiot  natural  but  acvjuired,  and  acquired  by 
baptism. 

Had  it  been  true,  that  all  these  infants  had  been 
sanctified  from  the  womb,  it  v\ould  not  have  tollowed. 
that  they  ought  to  have  been  baptized  ;  for  baptism  is 
neither  intended  to  wash  away  sin,  nor  to  signify  that 
it  hath  been  put  away  by  ary  other  means,  but  it  is  a 
mere  form  of  putting  on  the  profession  of  Christianity  : 
as  such  it  is  prc^per,  significant,  and  beautiful ;  but  in 
every  other  \ieu  ii  either  implies  the  knowledge  of  the 
heart,  or  a  moral  effect  produced  by  a  mechanical 
cause,  which  would  be  preposterous.  Happy  to  be 
content  with  the  simplicity  of  Revelation  !  Baptism  is 
for  the  use  of  the  living,  not  for  the  benefit  of  the  dying 
or  the  dead. 


CHAP.  XXL 

OF    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN    THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN. 

FEW  writers  have  been  so  often  quoted  in  the  con- 
troversy concerning  infant  baptism  as  Tertullian,  and 
yet  the  subject  is  not  so  much  as  mentioned  by  this 
father.  They  are  boys  and  not  babes,  of  whose  bap- 
tism he  writes.  This  looks  as  if  a  subject  might  be 
greatly  disputed  without  being  much  studied  ;  however^ 
such  oversights  render  it  necessary  thoroughly  to  ex- 
amine the  whole  of  the  business  as  far  as  it, regards 
Tertullian  of  Africa. 

Christianity  coming  out  of  Africa  into  the  West  re- 
sembles old  Jacob  the  shepherd  tottering  into  the  pres- 
ence of  King  Pharaoh,  and  may  very  properly  adopt  his 
language,  and  say,  Feix)  and  evil  have  the  days  of  my 
pilgrimage  been.  In  the  East  ai:d  in  the  West  it  took 
5cmc  cei  turies  to  enervate  the  religion  of  Jesus,  to  wear 
out  the  spirit  of  it,  and  to  reduce  it  to  a  skeleton,  or 
rather  to  turn  it  into  an  engine  of  absolute  dominion  : 
but  the  Africans  went  on  more  rapidly,  and  in  a  very 
short  period  gave  the  world  a  system  for  a  gospel,  of 
which  most  readers  of  the  four' evangelists  had  never 
Qjitertained  a  thought,  and  gave  it  as  tyrants  give  orders 


160         OF  BAPTISM  IN  AFRICA  IN 

to  their  slaves.  As  the  intelligence  of  a  corporation, 
like  that  of  an  individual,  is  to  be  appreciated  by  its 
speculative  productions,  it  should  seem  easy  to  deter- 
mine the  worth  of  the  speculations  of  Africa.  No,  it  is 
not.  Christians  are  extremely  divided  in  opinion  about 
the  doctrine  of  this  church.  Some  consider  their  dis- 
putes about  grace  and  freewill,  original  sin  and  the  di- 
vine decrees,  in  the  most  solemn  light,  and  think  salva- 
tion depends  not  only  on  investigating  these  subjects, 
but  on  determining  concerning  them  precisely  as  they 
did.  Others  behold  them  with  perfect  indifference, 
and,  instead  of  disputing  these  points,  repeat  a  tale  of  a 
Jesuit  missionary,  the  substance  of  which  is  this(l). 
The  bigots  among  the  Persiai^s  and  the  Turks,  both 
Mohammedans,  have  a  mortal  hatred  of  each  other. 
Both  agree,  as  the  Koran  directs,  that  men  ought  to 
purify  themselves  by  washing  their  hands  before  they 
pray,  and  it  is  clear  to  both,  that  they  ought  to  wash  to 
the  elbow  :  but  the  manner  of  doing  this  is  the  cause  of 
the  abhorrence  just  mentioned.  The  Turk  puts  his 
hand  into  the  water,  and  taking  up  some  in  his  palm, 
holds  up  his  hand,  and  lets  it  run  uj)  the  arm  to  the  el- 
bow. The  Persian  takes  water  into  the  palm  of  one 
hand,  carries  it  up  to  his  contrary  elbow,  and  lets  it  run 
down  his  arm,  and  off  his  fingers  ends.  In  this  dis- 
pute, whether  water  should  run  up  to  the  elbow  or 
down  to  the  elbow,  Almighty  God  takes  a  side,  and 
will  as  certainly  destroy  one  party  as  ever  he  created 
both.  It  is  much  easier  to  determine  the  moral  charac- 
ter of  this  church.  When  in  the  eleventh  century  there 
were  only  five  poor  bishops  in  all  Africa,  they  held  a 
Council  to  determine  which  of  two  pretenders  was  Lord 
Primate  (2).  Two  and  two,  and  a  casting  vote. 
What  a  general  council  !  Some  Christians  consider 
this  as  a  glorious  efibrt  of  sublime  piety  to  preserve  the 
imity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.  Others  say,  it 
proves  nothing,  except  that  love  of  dominion  was  the 
last  disposition  that  died  in  the  heart  of  an  African  pre- 
late (3).  Probably,  had  a  certain  person  been  there,  he 
would  have  decided  the  matter  by  setting  a  little  child 

<1)  Father  April's  Travels  into  Tartary.    B.  i. 

(2)  Leonis  Papx  ix.  Epist.  iii.    Ad  Thomam  Ep'isc.  African. 

(T)  Jaq.  Basnage  Hist.  Eccles.  Tom.  i.  Liv.  iv.  Cap.  viii. 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  161 

in  the  midst,  and  by  saying,  Except  ye  become  humble 
as  this  little  child^  ye  may  exercise  dominion,  but  ye 
shall  not'  enter  into  the  kingdom  oj  heaiien  (4).  Having 
never  heard  of  this,  or  never  attended  to  it,  they  appeal- 
ed to  the  pope,  and  he  settled  the  dispute  by  informing 
them,  that  there  was  but  one  Lord  Primate,  and  that 
was  himself. 

By  Africa  in  ecclesiastical  history  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood that  immense  tract,  which  geographers  describe 
under  this  name  :  but  that  part  only,  which  extended 
from  the  Atlantick  ocean  to  Cyrene,  a  border  lying  all 
along  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  sea,  from  the 
straits  of  Gibralter,  upward  (5).  The  whole  continent 
was  peopled  originally  by  the  descendants  of  Ham, 
that  son  of  Noah,  on  whose  posterity  the  patriarch, 
foreseeing  that  a  family  likeness  would  descend  from 
father  to  son,  and  that  the  meanness  of  their  minds  and 
the  profligacy  of  their  manners  would  produce  natural 
effects,  denounced  the  curse  of  servitude  (6).  This 
hath  been  their  general  condition  under  the  descendants 
of  both  Shem  and  Japheth.  In  a  very  early  age  the 
Phoenicians  settled  colonies  on  this  coast,  and  built 
Utica  and  Carthage,  one  of  the  finest  situations  in  ihe 
world  for  trade  (7).  Trade  produced  population,  pop- 
ulation wealth,  wealth  magnificence,  and  magnificence 
ambition  of  dominion  over  petty  surrounding  king- 
doms. Hence  followed  appeals  to  foreign  states,  alli- 
ances, events  that  made  a  breach  of  faith  :  then  came  as 
natural  effects  the  dreadful  Punick  wars,  and  in  the  end 
the  total  destruction  of  Carthage,  and  the  reduction  of 
the  whole  coast  to  a  Roman  province,  where  solitary 
garrisons  to  keep  slaves  in  awe  took  place  of  manufactoi' 
ries  and  warehouses,  population  and  plenty,  and  all  the 
blessings  of  trade.  When  Hannibal  was  obliged  to 
yield  to  the  superior  power  of  Rome,  he  exclaimed,  "  I 
know  the  fate  of  Carthage."  Fate  was  always  in  Africa 
an  apology  for  misconduct. 

(4)  Matt,  xviii.  i,  &g. 

(5)  Emanuel  a  Schelstrate  Ecclesia  Africana.  Paris.  1679.  Diss.  i. 
Gap.  iil. 

(6)  Bocharti  Opera,  curis  Leusdeo  et  Villemandy  Lugd.  1712. 

(7)  Livii  Kfit.  *  ,n  ngtis  Joan  Doujatii  •  -  innmm  Delfh.  Paris.  1679. 

21 


\62  OF  BAPTISM  IN  AFRICA  IN 

To  begin  from  the  Atlantick,  the  first  part  is  Maurita- 
nia, which  was  divided  into  three  provinces  :  Tingitana, 
so  called  from  the  city  Tingis,  now  Tangier  :  Csesari- 
ensis,  so  named  from  the  city  Caesarea  where  King  Ju- 
ba  anciently  resided  :  and  Sitifensis  from  Sitifi  the 
capital.  Next  lay  Numidia,  and  then  Africa  properly 
so  called,  the  dominions  of  the  Carthaginians-  When 
the  Romans  had  conquered  Carthage,  they  divided  this 
district  into  two  provinces  ;  that  in  which  Carthage  was, 
they  called  Proconsular,  the  other  Byzacena  from  the 
city  Byzacia  (8).  Beyond  this  lay  the  Tripolitan  pro- 
vince, which  reached  as  far  as  the  confines  of  Cyrene, 
The  whole  is  generally  now  called  the  coast  of  Barbary. 
When  Jesus  was  upon  earth,  this  country  was  inhabited 
by  three  sorts  of  people  :  the  ancient  Mauritanians  and 
Numidians  :  the  descendants  of  Phoenician  colonists  : 
and  the  Roman  provincials.  Loss  of  liberty  is  always 
attended  with  dejection  of  spirit,  and  this  generates  in- 
dolence, ignorance,  and  brutality.  When  foreigners 
are  quartered  upon  natives,  it  is  natural  for  each  na- 
tive to  say,  For  whom  do  I  labour  and  deprive  my  soul 
of  rest  ?  It  was  easy  for  Scipio  and  Caesar  to  hire  pane- 
gyrists with  the  spoils  of  Britain  and  Africa. 

By  what  means,  or  at  what  time  the  gospel  was  first 
taught  in  Africa  nobody  knows  (9).  The  Roman  Cath- 
olicks,  as  usual,  contend,  that  some  saint  was  sent  thither 
by  the  bishop  of  Rome :  but  this  is  said,  as  all  such 
fables  are,  for  the  sake  of  an  inference,  that  is,  that  Af- 
rica was  dependent  on  Rome,  and  ought  to  be  subject 
to  its  jurisdiction.  Whoever  casts  his  eye  on  the  maps 
will  think  it  not  improbable  that  it  made  its  way  thither 
through  Eg}'pt  (1)  ;  yet  nothing  is  more  likely  than  that 
it  should  go  from  Rome  along  with  some  provincials. 
However  it  were,  no  African  churches  appear  in  history 
till  the  close  of  the  second  century.  The  obscurity  of 
the  history  of  almost  all  christian  churches  affords  a 
high  degree  of  probability,  that  the  first  disciples  of  Je- 
sus were  poor  plain  men,  beneath  the  notice  of  the  mag- 
istrate and  the  historian  :  that  they  taught  a  very  simple 

(8)  Sexti  Rufi  Notitia  imperii  Concil  Carthag.  vi.  An.  419. Guil, 

Beveregii  Synodicon  Oxon.  1672. 

(9)  Basnage  Higt  ut  sup  -  -  •  •  Carthag.  CoUat. 

(1)  Guliel.  Sanson  Geograph.  Patriarchnlis  apud'Lzhh&i.  concil.  Tom.  xvu 
•  - .  Nicephori  Hist.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  iv.  •  -  •  Schelstrate  ttt  sup.  Diss.  i.  Cap.  2^ 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  163 

gospel :  that  their  worship  was  a  very  plain  affair  :  that 
their  converts  were  chiefly  of  the  lower  sort  of  people : 
and  that  their  persons  were  not  distinguished  by  any 
habits  different  from  those  of  their  neighbours,  or  by 
any  thing  except  their  piety  and  virtue.  Authentick 
histories  of  some  churches  give  this  probable  conjecture 
a  sort  of  demonstration  in  regard  to  others  of  which  there 
are  no  accounts.  How  wise  the  institution  :  He  shall  not 
lift  up  his  Doice^  tior  cry  in  the  streets ! 

Although  this  church  continued  only  about  eight  hun- 
dred years,  yet  the  history  of  it  ought  to  be  divided  into 
five  periods.  The  first  begins  with  the  appearance  of 
the  first  Christians,  and  ends  with  the  council  of  Nice  : 
a  period  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirteen  years.  Dur- 
ing this  time  Christianity  shifted  for  itself  in  the  hands 
of  the  people,  and  Christians  were  dissidents :  but  no 
party  was  established.  The  second  period  contains 
about  one  hundred  years  from  the  council  of  Nice  to  the 
irruption  of  the  Vandals.  This  term  exhibits  establish- 
ment, and  persecution.  The  third  is  the  next  hundred 
years,  the  time  of  the  duration  of  the  kingdom  of  the 
Vandals  :  the  time  of  the  triumph  of  Arianism.  The 
fourth  period  includes  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
from  the  ruin  of  the  Vandal  kingdom  to  the  irruption  of 
the  Saracens.  In  this  period  the  condition  of  the  Afri- 
can church  resembled  that  of  the  Greek  church.  The 
last  period  extends  from  the  irruption  of  the  Saracens  to 
the  disappearance  of  Catholicks,  and  contains  about 
three  hundred  years.  A  question,  it  may  be  hoped,  not 
more  curious  than  wise,  naturally  enough  ocpurs  here. 
On  supposition  it  had  been  the  duty  of  a  christian  to 
profess  the  religion  of  the  civil  magistrate  :  and  on  sup- 
position one  Carthaginian  Christian,  suppose  Tertullian, 
had  lived  through  all  these  periods  and  discharged  his 
duty,  of  what  religion  would  Tertullian  have  been  ?  Let 
it  not  pass  unnoticed  that  great  numbers  did  live  in  a 
part  of  two  periods. 

The  first  man  that  appears  in  this  church  is  Tertullian, 
one  of  the  most  singular  characters  in  history,  and  the 
first  Latin  father  (i2).  His  father  was  a  centurian  under 
the  proconsul.     He  was  born  at  Carthage,  and  brought 

(2)  Quinti  Septimii  Florcntis  TertuUiani.  Opera,  ex.  edit.  Nicolai  Rigal- 
tii.    Parisiis.  1664  -  -  Du  Pin.  Bibliot  des  Juteurs  Eccles.  Tertullien.  Siec.  it. 


164  or    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN 

up  a  lawyer.  He  became  a  Christian  and  joined  the 
church  at  Carthage  in  the  close  of  the  second  century. 
The  church  elected  him  an  elder,  and  he  wrote  several 
books,  the  chief  of  which  is  his  apology  for  Christianity, 
which  is  an  admirable  work  full  of  information.  He 
was  a  man  of  allowed  virtue,  and  consideryble  learning ; 
but  his  judgment  was  not  equal  to  his  zeal,  and  he  fell 
into  the  snare,  too  common  to  primitive  Christians,  of 
writing  books  to  explain  the  whole  of  a  religion  which 
he  did  but  half  understand.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
he  removed  his  communion,  and  joined  the  people  called 
Montanists,  in  ck  fence  of  whom  he  wrote  more  books  to 
contradict  what  he  had  published  before.  Most  Chris- 
tians condemn  him  as  an  apostate  and  a  hereick  :  but 
many  think,  he  proved  the  sincerity  and  goodness  of  his 
h(  art  by  following  his  own  convictions,  and  regarding 
nobody.  He  lived  to  extreme  old  age  :  but  as  he  died 
heterodox,  nobody  knows  when  or  where,  or  how  he 
finished  his  course.  This  is  the  first  writer  who  mentions 
the  baptism  of  children,  and  he  dissuades  from  it :  but  the 
question  is  whether  he  means  natural  infants,  or  infants 
in  law  (3).  It  is  not  incredible  that  this  book  has  been 
garbled  and  interpolated  :  it  is  certain  one  other  book 
is  attributed  to  him  in  which  Sabellius  is  mentioned, 
though  TertuUian  died  before  Sabellius  was  born  (4). 

The  mode  is  not  in  dispute,  for  it  is  clear  the  Roman 
Africans  administered  baptism  by  dipping  three  times  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  (5).  Trine  immersion  to  represent  the  three  days 
burial  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  faith  in  the  Trinity,  is  of  uncer- 
tain origin  :  but  the  practice  was  universal  among  Chris- 
tians of  the  Catholick  kind;  and  some  who  did  not  believe 
the  Trinity  performed  baptism  in  the  same  manner.  It  is 
therefore  the  subject,  whether  a  natural  infant  or  a  minor 
that  rises  to  view.  The  introduction  of  infants  into  the 
christian  church  is  such  a  singular  innovation  that  it  hath 

(3)  De  Bapiismo  advers   ^intil.  Liber. 

(4)  Jbr   Scidteti  Analysis  Script   Tertull.  De  P<enit.  De  Trinit. 

(5)  Tertiil.  De Bapt.c&^.\\Vi.  In  aqua  mergiiiiur- -  -  Coron.ilf/Y.  cap. iii. 
Dehinc  ter  mergilamur  -  -  -  Advers.  Prax.  Post  resurrectionetn  spondens 
IBissurum  se  discipulis  promissionis  patris,  et  novissinie  niandans  ut  tin- 
guerent  in  Patrem,  et  Filium,  et  Spiritum  sanctum  non  in  unum  Nam  nee 
semel,  sed  ter,  ad  singula  nomina  in  personas  singulas  tinguimur.  De  tri- 
na  niersione  vide  Cyprian    Epist.  ad  jfubaianum  ad  Pompeium  -  -  •    Basilium 

Cyril  Hierosol  -  .  Ambros.  dt  Sacram.  -  -  Hieron.  in  Cap.  ir.  a.d  £p/ics. 

Chrysost  -  --  Basnag.  Canisii  Lettion^rtefat.  Cap.  v.  S.  19, 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  165 

attracted  the  eyes  of  many  to  Africa  to  spy  out  the  cause. 
Baptism  is  a  ceremony.  Ceremonies  are  founded  not  on 
moral,  but  positive  law.  There  is  no  law  to  baptize 
infants  in  either  testament,  so  that  there  is  not  even 
the  pretence  of  Judaism  to  give  a  shadow  of  sanction  to 
such  a  practice.  Infants  are  mere  machines,  and  utterly 
incapable  of  every  thing  requisite  to  baptism.  It  sub- 
verts  the  very  base  of  the  christian  church,  by  giving 
those  the  name  who  have  not  the  thing,  and  by  transfer- 
ring the  whole  cause  of  Christianity  from  the  wise  and 
pious  few,  to  the  ignorant  and  wicked  multitude,  who, 
being  supposed  Christians,  interfere  in  religion,  derange 
the  community,  invade  the  offices,  and  convert  the  whole 
into  a  worldly  corporation.  Had  the  Royal  or  Antiqua- 
rian Societies,  or  any  of  the  academies  abroad,  taken  in 
their  own  infants  in  such  a  manner,  they  would  have 
been  lost  in  a  crowd  of  ignoramuses  before  now,  because 
the  qualities  of  the  parents  are  not  hereditary.  All  these 
reflections  have  weight :  but  there  is  another  of  more 
importance  than  all  these  to  some  people,  who  think  it 
sinks  the  credit  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  making  him  impose  his 
name  upon  children  before  they  know  who  he  is,  or  what 
he  teaches  :  as  if  he  could  not  trust  mankind  to  use  their 
reason  before  he  imposed  his  gospel  on  their  belief. 

As  Africa  is  the  place,  where  infant  baptism  first 
makes  its  appearance,  it  would  be  unpardonable,  in  an 
history  of  African  Christianity,  not  to  keep  the  eye  full 
fixed  on  infants ;  it  should  never  lose  sight  of  them. 
When  they  appear  in  the  church,  they  who  bring  them 
should  be  examined,  and  cross-examined,  fairly,  but 
with  all  possible  severity  ;  first  to  come  at  the  fact,  who 
these  infants  are :  and  then  at  the  law  of  the  case, 
or  the  reasons,  which  are  assigned  for  the  baptism 
of  them.  Strictly  speaking,  it  lies  upon  those  who 
practise  it,  to  shew  how  they  came  by  it ;  and  it  is 
spoken  of  here  merely  as  a  matter  of  curiosity. 

The  fact  is,  infants  appear  three  times,  at  three  dif- 
ferent and  distinct  periods,  and  the  baptism  of  them 
is  each  time  claimed  for  a  new  and  diflferent  reason. 
The  first  time,  it  is  an  infant  in  law,  able  to  ask  to  be 
baptized,  and  accompanied  by  his  sponsor  or  guardian. 
This  happens  in  the  time  of  TertuUian,  about  the 
beginning  of  the  third  century. 


166  OF    BAPTISM    IM    AFRICA    IN 

The  second,  is  an  infant  of  eight  days  old,  brought  in 
by  a  country  priest,  who  reasons  from  circumcision, 
and  is  confirmed  in  his  opinion  and  ordered  by  his  mas- 
ter Cyprian  to  baptize  before  eight  days.  This  hap- 
pened about  forty  years  after  the  former. 

The  last,  is  a  new  born  babe  in  danger  of  damnation 
for  his  original  sin,  to  be  cleansed  and  saved  by  baptism 
by  the  bishop  of  Hippo,  fourteen  of  his  party,  and  their 
successors.  This  falls  out  near  an  hundred  and  eighty 
years  after  the  second.  Each  of  these  will  be  spoken  of 
in  its  proper  place.  Only  the  first  is  to  be  consid- 
ered now. 

To  discuss  this  subject  properly,  it  is  necessary  to 
arrange  it,  and  first  to  state  the  case  -  -  -  -  then  to  inquire 
ivho  proposes  the  baptism  of  infants thirdly,  to  ex- 
amine the  word  infant fourthly,  to  hear  what  Ter- 

tullian  has  to  object  -  —  fifthly,  to  inquire  the  condition 
of  these  infants  -  -  -  -and  lastly,  the  new  office  of  sponsor. 

The  case  is  this.  Quintilla  pleads  for  the  baptism  of 
infants,  on  condition  they  ask  to  be  baptized,  and  pro- 
duce sponsors.  Tertullian,  a  lawyer  and  an  officer  of 
the  church,  dissuades  from  it,  and  assigns  his  reasons. 
This  is  the  case. 

Next,  who  was  this  Quintilla?  She  was  a  lady  of 
fortune,  who  lived  at  Pepuza,  a  town  in  Phrygia. 
Either  she,  or  Priscilla,  or  both,  formed  a  christian  soci- 
ety where  they  lived.  One  of  the  members  of  this 
church  was  n'amed  Montanus,  a  poor  obscure  man,  of 
no  learning,  but  like  all  the  rest  of  the  church  of  severe 
morals.  He  taught  in  the  church.  His  air  was  cap- 
tivating to  the  lower  sort  of  people,  and  his  example 
and  instructions  led  multitudes  into  this  mode  of  Chris- 
tianity, so  that  the  church  multiplied  and  spread  itself 
all  over  Asia,  Africa,  and  a  part  of  Europe. 

In  this  church  the  women  preached  and  were  called 
prophetesses.  They  believed  both  the  Testaments,  Old 
and  New,  and  had  a  deal  to  say  from  both  in  defence  of 
themselves.  Miriam  the  sister  of  Moses  prophesied. 
The  daughters  of  Philip  prophesied.  The  wise  virgins 
took  their  lamps  and  went  out  to  meet  Jesus.  They 
used  to  say,  there  was  neither  male  nor. female  in  Christ 
Jesus  :  and  therefore  women  were  both  elders  and  bish- 
ops in  their  congregations(6),  and  taught  and  baptized  (7). 

(6)  Epiph.  Hxrez,        (7)  Tertul.  Be  Bapu  Cap.  xvii. 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  167 

They  disowned  priesthood,  despised  literature,  and 
never  flinched  from  persecution.  Some  called  them 
Phrygians,  others  Priscillianists,  and  Quintillianists  ; 
some  named  them  Montanists,  others  called  them 
Pepuzians  ;  and,  if  any  body  inquired  of  them  what  they 
called  themselves,  they  answered,  we  are  Artot\  rites,  that 
is,  bread  and  cheese  eaters.  Monsters,  exclaim  the 
the  serious  Catholicks,  do  ye  offer  bread  and  cheese  in 
sacrifice  to  your  gods  ! 

Epiphanius,  who  wrote  a  history  of  what  he  did  not  know 
as  well  as  of  what  he  did,  gave  those  good  ladies  a  place 
in  his  list  of  hereticks  ;  and  though  he  says  he  did  not 
know  their  history,  yet  he  pretends  to  tell  even  their 
dreams,  which  probably  they  never  told  except  joc- 
ularly in  their  dressing  rooms,  where  writers  of  folios 
seldom  come,  especially  such  as  Epiphanius,  who  write 
slander  in  folio.  How  they  contrived  to  be  bishops 
themselves,  and  yet  to  despise  priesthood  in  the  other 
sex,  is  hard  to  say.  Probably  a  Pepuzian  bishop  was  a 
teacher  :  a  very  different  person  from  Bishop  Epiphanius, 
who  mistook  himself  for  governor  of  the  Isle  of  Cy- 
prus. 

The  third  inquiry  is,  who  are  these  infants,  as  transla- 
tors have  been  pleased  to  call  them  ?  There  is  an  ab- 
solute certainty  that  these  children  were  not  infants  in 
the  usual  popular  modern  English  sense,  and  that  the  word 
infant  among  the  Africans  meant  a  minor,  or  an  infant  in 
law  in  general.  It  might  mean  a  sucking  child,  or  it 
might  not.  To  determine  the  sense  precisely,  and  once 
for  all,  it  is  necessary  to  examine  the  circurpstances 
mentioned  by  Tertullian  in  the  case  of  the  present  in- 
fants, though  he  does  not  call  them  infants,  but  little 
ones. 

An  African  bishop  is  an  unexceptionable  evidence  ; 
and  one  who  hath  no  inducement  to  mislead  is  the  most 
proper  to  speak  to  this  point.  Let  Bishop  Victor  be 
the  man.  He  lived  early  enough  to  determine,  and  he 
lived  after  Austin  had  settled  the  dispute  by  law,  and 
was  not  interested  in  the  affair  ;  he  is  therefore  the  near- 
est disinterested  African  to  be  found.  He  says,  "  There 
were  in  the  African  church  at  Carthage,  when  Eugenius 
was  bishop,  a  great  many  litfle  irijants^  readers,  who  re- 
joiced in  the  Lord,  and  suffered  persecution  with  the 


168  OF    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN 

rest  of  their  brethren  (b)."  He  says  in  another  place, 
when  a  great  many  Christians  were  fleeing  into  exile, 
many  little  infants  accompanied  them,  crying,  We  are 
Christians,  we  are  Calholicks,  we  believe  the  Trinity, 
(9).  Some  of  their  mothers  were  Arians,  and  ran 
crying  after  them  to  dissuade  them  from  going  with  the 
Catholicks,  and  trying  to  prevail  with  then\  to  return 
home,  and  be  rebaptized  into  the  Arian  faith  :  but  they 
persisted.  "  Once,  says  the  bishop,  as  we  were  trav- 
elling in  the  night  to  avoid  the  excessive  heats  of  the 
sun  and  the  sand,  we  espied  a  little  old  woman  running, 
carrying  a  bag  and  some  clothes,  and  having  a  litlle  in- 
fant in  her  hand,  and  we  heard  her  say,  run,  run,  my 
little  king,  do  but  see  how  fast  the  saints  go  to  obtain  their 
crowns.  The  pilgrims  paused,  and  when  she  came  up, 
they  reproved  the  old  woman  for  pretending  to  associate 
herself  with  a  company  of  men.  God  bless  you,  God 
bless  you,  said  she,  pray  for  me,  and  for  this  little  grand- 
child of  mine,  for,  though  I  am  a  sinner,  yet  my  father 
was  bishop  of  the  city  of  Zuritana,  long  since  dead. 
Do,  added  she,  let  me  go  along  with  this  your  little  ser- 
vant into  exile,  for  if  I  leave  him  alone  the  enemy  will 
decoy  him  from  the  way  of  truth  into  the  way  of  de- 
struction. Well,  replied  we,  let  the  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done  !" 

There  was  in  the  church  at  Carthage  a  man  named 
Theucarius,  who  used  to  read,  and  was  master  of  the 
singers.  Twelve  of  these  were  little  infants^  as  the 
bishop  calls  them  (1)»  There  were  also  little  infants^ 
who  in  time  of  persecution  ran  up  and  down  the  streets 
crying,  "  We  are  Christians,  we  are  Christians,  we  arc 
Christians  :"  and  as  they  repeated  this  three  times,  both 
Catholicks  and  Arians  thought  they  held  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity  :  the  latter  knocked  them  on  the  head,  and 
the  former  registered  them  for  martyrs  (2).  There  were 
seven  monks  put  to  death — Maximus,  a  little  infant^ 
was  one  (3).  The  officers  pitied  his  youth,  and  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  recant.  *'  No,  (said  he,)  nobody 
shall  persuade  me  to  leave  my  father  Abbot   Liberatus, 

(8)  Victoris  Vhens'is  Hist  Persecut.  Vandal.  Edit.  Theodorici  Ruinart. 
Parisiis.  1604.  Lib.  v.  Cap.  is.  (9)  Lib.   ii.  Cap.  ix. 

(1)  Lib.  V    Cap.  x.  (2)  Lib.  v.  Cap.  xiv. 

(3)  Ejusd  Passio  beatiss.  Lartyruw-  pag.  104.  Inter  eos  iflfaiitulys'^ 
nomine  maximus Infjiatule,  quid  feBtinas  ad  mortem. 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN,  169 

and  my  brethren,  who  nursed  me  in  the  monastery. 
They  brought  me  up  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  with  them  I 
desire  to  jsuiFer,  and  with  them  I  trust  I  shall  enjoy  eter- 
nal glory.      Do  not  think  you  can  seduce  me  because  I 

am  young If  I  deny  Christ  before  men,  he  will  deny 

me  before  my  Father  in  heaven  :  but  if  1  confess  him, 
he  will  confess  me  before  his  Father,  and  the  holy  an- 
gels." These  are  Carthaginia7i  injants^  children  of  the 
choir,  taught  to  read,  and  sing,  and  instructed  by  such 
men  as  Theucarius,  the  church  school-master  ;  or 
brought  up  in  monasteries,  and  prepared  by  the  monks 
for  baptism ;  and  Theucarius,  Abbot  Liberatus,  and 
such  men,  were  sponsors. 

The  bishop  speaks  of  Vandal  youths  suffering  with 
other  infants  :  but  if  it  were  necessary,  it  would  be  easy 
to  prove  that  in  Africa,  not  provincials  only,  but  Van- 
dals, Goths,  and  natives,  all  used  the  word  infant  in  a 
vague  sense.  Tertullian's  word  is  parmdiLS  a  little  one, 
which  if  possible  is  more  vague  still.  The  first  lin- 
guists in  Europe,  by  tracing  all  the  words  in  question 
to  their^parent  roots  or  first  sounds,  which  are  always 
found  to  be  very  simple,  and  very  much  alike,  abundantly 
prove  what  is  here  affirmed  (4). 

As  the  single  words  prove  nothing  more  than  that  the 
infants  proposed  for  baptism  at  Carthage  were  such  as 
could  not  dispose  of  themselves,  circumstances  must 
determine  their  age,  or  if  there  be  none,  the  age  of 
these  candidates  must  be  left  undetermined.  A  very 
little  affix  may  determine  the  precise  meaning  of  a 
word,  as  for  example  in  the  old  Saxon  CQin pound 
word  cradle- child,  which  fixes  the  age,  and  Godbearn 
which  describes  the  condition,  in  regard  to  baptism, 
that  it  hath  been  baj^tized  under  the  care  of  a  sponsor  : 
but  where  the  words  are  uncompouncled  as  these  are 
here,  some  foreign  circumstances  must  be  sought  for. 
It  is  not  said  whether  these  minors  were  the  children  of 
Pagansor  Christians,  but  it  should  seem  by  a  circum- 
stance, which  will  be  mentioned  presently,  they  were 
the  children  of  poor  Pagans. 

(4)     Georgii    Hickesii    Linguarum   vett.       Septentrionah'um    Thesaurus. 
Oxon.lTOS.     Tom.i.     Gram.  Jngio-Saxonica  et  Moew.  Gothica.  pag-.  14. 

22 


170 


OF    IIATTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN 


Tertullian  in  a  small  book  of  less  than  six  pages  m 
folio,  objects  to  the  baptism  of  these  little  ones.  This 
is  his  objection. 

Q.  Seplimii  Florcntis  Ter- 
tuUiani  Cartliaginiensis  preshy- 
teri  De  Baptismo,  Adversns 
Quintillam.  Libri  caput  xviii. 

Baptismum  non  temsre  credeii- 
dum  esse,  sciunt  quorum  offici- 
um  est.  Omni  petenti  dale, 
suum  habet  tituUmi,  periade  ad 
t'leetnosynara  pertinentem.  Im- 
mo  illud  potius  peispiciendun), 
nolite  dare  sanctum  canibus,  et 
porcis  projicere  margarita  ves- 
tra,  et  manus  ne  facile  imposu- 
eris,  ne  participes  aliena  delicta. 
Si  Philippus  tarn  facile  tinxit 
eunuchum,  recogitemus  mani- 
festem  et  exertam  dignationem 
Domine  intercessisse.  Spiritus 
Philippo  prxceperat  in  earn  vi- 
am  pretendere  ;  spado  et  ipse 
inventus  est  non  otiosus  ;  nee 
qui  subito  tinojui  concupisceret : 
sed  ad  templum  orandi  gratia 
scripturte  divinte  impressus. 
Sic  oportebat  deprehendi,  cui 
ultro  Deus  apostobis  miserat. 
Ad  quem  rursus  spiritus  ut  se 
curriculo'  eunuchi  adjungeret 
jussit.  Soriptura  ipsius  tidei 
occurrit,  in  tempore  exhortatus 
adsumitur,  Dominus ostenditur, 
fides  non  moratur,  aqu-i  non 
expectatur,  Apostolus  perfecto 
negotio  eripitur.  Sed  et  Paulus 
revera  cito  tinctus  est.  Cito 
enim  cognoverat  Judas  hospes 
vas  eum  esse  electionis  constitu- 
tum.  Dei  dignatio  suas 
prtemittit  prserogativas  :  omnis 
petitio  et  decipere,  et  decipi 
potest.  Itaque  pro  cuj  usque 
personce  conditiono,  ac  dispo- 
sitione,  etiam  setate,  cunctatio 
baptismi  utilior  est  :  prsecipue 
tamen  circa  parvulos.  Quid 
enim  necesse  est  sponsores  etiam 
periculo  ingeri  ?  Quia  et  ipsi 
per 


Tfie  eighteenth  chapter  of 
Tcrtu/lian's  book  on  Baptism 
against    Quintilla. 

That  baptism  ought  not  to  be 
administered  rashly,  the  adminis- 
trators of  it  know.  Give  to  him 
that  afketh,  every  one  hath  a  right, 
as  if  it  v^ere  a  matter  of  alms. 
Yea,  rather  fay,  give  not  that 
which  is  holy  unto  dogs,  cast  not 
your  pearls  before  swme,  lay  hands 
suddenly  on  no  man,  be  not  a  par- 
taker of  other  men's  fins.  If  Philip 
baptized  the  eunuch  on  the  fpot, 
let  us  recollect  it  was  done  under- 
the  immediate  direction  of  the 
Lord.  The  fpirit  commanded 
Philip  to  go  that  way  ;  the  eunuch 
was  not  idle  when  he  found  him, 
nor  did  he  immediately  desire  to 
be  baptized  :  but  having  been  at 
the  temple  to  worship,  God,  he 
was  attending  to  the  holy  fcrip- 
tures.  There  was  a  propriety  in 
what  he  was  about,  when  God 
sent  his  apoftle  to  him,  the  fpirit 
gave  Philip  a  fecond  order  to  join 
himfelf  to  the  chariot.  The  eu- 
nuch was  a  believer  of  scripture, 
the  inftruction  given  by  Philip  was 
seafonable,  the  one  preached,  and 
the  other  perceived  the  Lord  Jefus, 
and  believed  on  him,  water  was  at 
hand,  and  the  apoftle  having  finish- 
ed the  affair  was  caught  away. 
But  Paul,  you  say,  was  baptized 
inftantly.  True  :  because  Judas, 
in  whofe  houfe  he  was,  inftantly 
knew  he  was  a  veflel  of  mercy. 
The  condescension  of  God  may 
confer  his  favours  as  he  pleafes  : 
but  our  wishes  may  mislead  our- 
selves and  others.  It  h  therefore 
moft  expedient  to  defer  baptism, 
and  to  regulate  the  adminiftration 
of  it  atcording  to  the  condition, 
the  disposition  and  the  age  of  the 
person  to  be  baptized  :  and  espe- 
cially in  the  cafe  of  little  ones. 
What  necessity  is  there  to  expofe 
fponfors  to  danger  ?  Death  may 
incapacitate 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN. 


171 


per  mortalitatem  destituere 
promissiones  suas  possunt,  et 
proventu  malte  indolis  falli. 
Ait  quidera  dominus,  Nolite 
illos  prohibere  ad  me  venire. 
Veniant  dura  discunt,  dutn  quo 
veniant  docentur  ;  fiant  Chris- 
tiani,  quuni  Christum  nosse 
potuerint.  Quid  festinat  inno- 
cens  actasad  remissionem  pecca- 
torum  ?  Cautius  agetur  in 
secularibus,  ut  cui  substantia 
terrena  non  creditur,  divina 
credatur.  Norint  petere  salu- 
tem,  ut  petenti  dedisse  videaris. 
Non  minori  de  causa,  innupti 
quoque  procrastinandi,  in  qui- 
bus  tentatio  pra^parata  est,  tam 
virginibus  per  maturitatem, 
quam  viduis  per  vacationem, 
donee  aut  nubant,  aut  contin- 
entise  corroborentur.  Si  qui 
pondus  intelligant  baptismi, 
magis  timebunt  consecutionem, 
quam  dilationem  :  fides  integra 
secura  est  de  salute. 


incapacitate  them  for  fulfilling 
their  engagements  :  or  bad  dispo- 
sitions may  defeat  all  their  endeav- 
ours. Indeed,  the  Lord  saith,  for- 
bid them  not  to  come  unto  mc  : 
and  let  them  come  while  they  are 
growing  up,  let  them  come  and 
learn,  and  let  them  be  inftrufted 
when  they  come,  and  when  they 
underftand  Chriftianity  let  them 
profess  themselves  Chriftians. 
Why  should  that  innocent  age 
haften  to  the  remission  of  fins  ? 
People  act  more  cautiously  in  sec- 
ular aiiairs,  they  do  not  commit 
the  care  of  divine  things  to  such 
as  are  not  intrusted  with  temporal 
things.  They  juft  know  how  to 
aik  for  salvation,  that  you  may 
seem  to  give  to  him  that  alketh. 
It  is  for  a  realbn  equally  impor- 
tant, that  unmarried  women  both 
virgins  and  widows,  are  kept  wait- 
ing, either  till  they  marry,  or  are 
confirmed  in  a  habit  of  chafte  single 
life.  Such  as  underftand  the  im- 
portance of  baptism  are  more  aft  aid 
of  presumption  than  procraftina- 
tion,  and  faith  alone  fecurcs  salva- 
tion. 

On  this  book  there  are  eight  remarks,  which  ought 
iiot  to  pass  unnoticed. 

First,  The  book  itself  is  not  addressed  to  the  church 
at  Carthage,  it  is  a  pamphlet  written  against  the  Quintil- 
hanists,  whom  the  writer  reputed  hereticks,  who  were 
not  in  communion  with  the  church,  and  who  did  not 
beheve  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  for  he  says,  they 
had  not  the  same  God,  and  therefore  it  was  no  w^onder 
they  had  not  the  same  baptism.  Beside,  these  people 
suffered  women  to  preach  and  baptize,  w  hich  the  church 
at  Carthage  did  not  allow.  This  book,  therefore,  doth 
not  prove  that  infants  were  baptized  at  Carthage ;  and 
the  prerequisites  to  baptism,  which  TertuUian  says  the 
Carthaginian  church  demanded  of  candidates,  w^cre 
impossible  to  infants.  He  describes  baptism  as  it  was 
practised  at  Carthage  :  but  it  is  the  baptism  of  adults 
by  trine  immersion. 

Secondly.  He  observes  two  sorts  of  texts,  or  more 
strictly  speaking,  two  texts  urged  for  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants  :  the  one,  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  mc ;  and 
the  other,  Ghe  ts  hhn  that  asketh.     His  answer  seems 


172  or    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN 

clearly  to  be,  let  them  be  relieved  and  taught,  and  when 
they  understand  let  them  be  baptized ;  at  present  they 
ask  for  what  the  officers  of  the  church  have  no  power  to 
dispose  of. 

Thirdly.  He  remarks,  that  arguments  taken  from  scrip- 
tural examples  of  persons'  being  baptized  immediately 
on  their  desiring  baptism,  as  the  Eunuch  and  Paul,  were 
not  applicable  to  this  case.  Here  is  no  divine  com- 
mand :  in  the  case  of  the  eunuch  there  was.  Here 
is  no  proof  of  conversion  :  but  Paul  was  known  to  be  a 
vessel  of  mercy  before  he  was  baptized. 

Fourthly.  He  adds,  that  the  baptism  of  children  was 
not  only  unsupported  by  scripture,  but  it  was  contrary  to 
the  reasonable  customs  of  the  world  and  the  church.  The 
world  doth  not  entrust  minors  with  secular  affairs  :  the 
church  doth  not  admit  either  single  women  or  widows 
till  they  have  proved  the  virtue  of  their  characters  by  a 
continued  habit  of  living  chastely  and  irreproachably 
in  a  single  state. 

He  asks,  what  there  is  in  the  children,  that  should 
tempt  people  to  baptize  them  ?  If  baptism  be  considered 
as  a  renunciation  of  sin,  what  have  children  to  do  with 
this,  their  age  is  innocent  ? 

He  says,  sponsors  would  expose  themselves  to  great 
danger  :  they  might  die,  or  the  untowardness  of  the 
children  might  defeat  their  intentions. 

He  observes,  further,  that  though  children  might  ask 
to  be  baptized,  yet  they  might  not  know  what  they 
asked  for  :  and  that  the  whole  implied  a  want  of  under- 
standing, for  they  who  knew  what  baptism  meant,  would 
rather  defer  it,  than  rush  unworthily  into  it. 

Lastly.  It  is  highly  probable,  that  this  book  answer- 
ed TertuUian's  end,  and  prevented,  what  had  only  been 
proposed,  the  baptism  of  minors ;  and  it  is  absolute- 
ly certain  that  about  six  years  after,  Tertullian  join- 
ed the  very  people  against  whom  he  had  written  this 
book,  and  the  baptism  of  children  is  not  once  mentioned 
again  till  at  least  forty  years  after.  Tertullian  published 
more  books  after  he  joined  the  Montanists  ;  but  it  does 
not  appear  by  any  of  them  that  he  had  altered  his  opinion 
about  baptism;  and  the  most  probable  conjecture  is,  that 
they  convinced  him  of  some  errors,  which  he  reformed  : 
and  he  them  of  some  others,  which  they  gave  up ;  and  j 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  173 

that  hurrying  forward  the  baptism  of  children  was  one. 
If  it  were  necessary  to  give  any  opinion  on  the  age  of 
the  infants  in  question,  there  is  one  line  in  Bishop  Vic- 
tor's history  of  the  Vandal  persecution  of  this  church, 
that  would  lead  a  reader  to  conjecture,  they  were  about 
seven  years  of  age  (5).  This  is  a  mere  guess  ;  but  it 
seems  to  accord  with  every  thing  said  by  TertuUian. 
Such  children  could  ask  to  be  baptized,  and  so  they  an- 
swer the  character  proposed  by  the  Quintillianists  ;  but 
they  were  comparatively  innocent  of  sin,  and  yet  igno- 
rant of  the  intent  of  baptism,  and  so  exposed  to  all  the 
objections  of  TertuUian. 

The  condition  of  these  children  is  the  next  inquiry. 
Africa  was  a  Roman  province.  A  Proconsul  resided 
there,  as  a  Lord-Lieutenant  does  in  Ireland.  The  con- 
ditions of  the  people  in  general  were  the  same  as  in  oth- 
er parts  of  the  empire.  Slaves  could  not  dispose  of  their 
children,  and  those  of  the  gentry  were  guarded  by  ex- 
press law.  On  a  comparison  of  the  conditions  of  the 
people  with  the  laws  of  the  country,  it  should  seem, 
these  infants  could  be  no  other  than  either  orphans  of 
free  christian  citizens,  or  children  of  poor  free  Pagans, 
who  embraced  the  proposal  made  by  Christians  to  bring 
up  their  children,  as  the  poor  now  accept  the  favour  of 
a  charity-school  (6).  Of  the  two  the  latter  is  most 
likely.  The  Carthaginian  Christians  had  in  after  times 
two  sorts  of  institutions  of  this  kind  for  both  sexes  :  the 
one,  church- schools  ;  the  other,  monasteries.  Theuca- 
rius,  just  now  mentioned,  w^as  master  of  that  at  Carthage, 
and  had  12  infants  under  his  care,  who  held  the  Trinity, 
and  probably  more  who  did  not  hold  it :  but  they  were 
wholly  supported  by  the  church  ;  and  Victor  says,  they 
lived  together,  ate  together,  and  sung  together  in  the 
church  (7).  They  were  what  would  now  be  called  cho- 
risters, or  children  of  the  choir.  Liberatus,  also,  was 
master  of  a  monastery,  where  the  monks  took  in  child- 
ren ;  and  most,  if  not  all  monasteries  did  so  (8).  In 
both  these  schools  children  vvere  taught  and  prepared 

(5)  Filius  cujasdam  nobilis,  annorum  circiter  septem,  a  parentibus  sep- 
eratus  est  -  -  -  raptores,  vifantulo  clamante,  Christianus  sum,  insontem  in- 
fantiam  in  suum  gurgitem  demerserent. 

(6)  Dc  tutela  -  -  -  De  sereis  -  -  -  De  tcstamentis  -  -  -  De  bonis  -  -  -  De.  in- 
testatis  -  -  -  De  tutoribus  vel  curatoribus  illustriuni  vel  clarissimarum  peraon- 
srum  .  '  -  Be  infantibus  -  -  -  Df  Ubertis,  iSfc. 

(7)  Victor,  pag.  5  (8)  Pag.  91  Paj-  102. 


174  OF    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA    IN 

for  baptism.  In  Tertullian's  time  these  schools  were 
small,  and  comparatively  inconsiderable  :  but  the  ques- 
tion between  him  and  his  opponents  was  precisely  this. 
Shall  children  be  baptized  when  they  are  first  admitted, 
or  shall  btfptism  be  deferred  till  they  have  been  instruct- 
ed? Administer  it,  say  the  compassionate  ladies,  for 
the  Lord  said,  Give  to  him  that  asketh.  No.  replies 
TertuUian,  the  Lord  did  not  say  so  of  baptism  :  main- 
tain them,  and  instruct  them  ;  but  do  not  baptize  tiiem, 
till  they  know  what  baptism  means. 

The  last  article  regards  sponsors.  TertuUian  was  a 
lawyer,  and  before  he  became  a  Christian  he  had  been 
consulted  as  a  man  eminent  in  his  profession.  It  was 
very  natural  for  him  to  start  the  dirficulties  of  sponsion  or 
suretyship,  and  particularity  at  a  time  when  Christians 
began  so  to  multiply  as  to  alarm  Proconsuls,  who  had  not 
then  learnt  what  they  meant  to  be  at.  During  the  lives 
of  parents,  they  were  the  natural  guardians  of  children. 
On  their  death,  the  nearest  of  kin  became  guardians  or 
parents  of  minors.  Guardian  in  England  includes  two 
offices,  discharged  among  the  Romans  by  two  different 
persons,  the  one  called  a  tutor,  who  had  the  care  of  the 
person  and  education  of  the  minor  ;  and  the  other  nam- 
ed a  curator,  who  had  the  care  of  the  estate.  It  hap- 
pened sometimes  that  they  who  made  wills,  which 
slaves  and  some  others  could  not  do,  nominated  a  guar- 
dian, who  did  not  choose  to  act.  Was  this  man  under 
anv  obligation  to  execute  the  will  of  the  deceased  ?  No, 
he' was  not.  But  let  him  take  care,  for  if  he  does  any 
one  act,  he  will  render  himself  accountable  for  the  whole, 
for  the  law  will  consider  him  in  a  condition  of  sponsion, 
and  will  suppose,  as  it  very  well  may,  that  he  acts 
sponte,  of  his  own  choice,  and  without  any  compulsion. 
It  was  very  wise  and  kind  in  this  primitive  church  law- 
yer to  warn  his  brethren  of  danger.  It  is  as  if  he  had 
said  :  Have  vou  well  considered  this  affair  ?  minors  are 
not  of  age  till  they  are  twenty-five  (9).  Till  then  they 
are  under  tutors  and  governors.  Government  cannot 
and  will  not  harm  you  for  feeding  and  clothing  poor 
children,  and  teaching  them  to  read  and  sing ;  but  per- 

(9)  Dionysii  Gothofredl  h^otx  hi  Cod.  yustin.  Lib.  v;  Tit.  xxviii.  Sua 
xtates  fieri,  est  piiberem  fieri,  Dion.  liii.  rovi  ev  tyi  YiXmtx.  Puberes 
yocantur,  g^ui  nondum  pervenerunt  ad  annum  xxv.  aetatis. 


THE    TIME    OF    TERTULLIAN.  175 

haps  they  will  not  consider  baptism  in  a  light  so  favour- 
able, for  this  is  embodying  them  in  a  corporation  un- 
known tp  the  law,  and  it  is  a  disposing  of  them  widiout 
their  consent.  The  law  hath  not  yet  taken  any  cogni- 
zance of  baptism,  but  if  it  should,  and  should  deter- 
mine the  administration  of  it  to  minors  an  act  of  spon- 
sion, you  may  bring  yourselves  into  trouble ;  and  if  this 
should  never  happen,  how  can  you  answer  for  the 
dispositions  of  the  children,  when  they  come  ofage(l)? 
And  what  will  you  say  to  the  church  when  they  cen- 
sure you  for  transferring  their  property,  their  offices, 
and  their  religion,  to  drunkards  and  blasphemers?  Had 
Tertullian  been  a  divine,  divine  motives  should  be 
ascribed  to  him  :  but  as  he  was  a  prudent  lawyer, 
it  is  natural  to  suppose,  he  determined  his  opinion  by 
professional  reasons,  and  though  he  was  too  wise  to 
mention  them  in  a  publication  under  a  pagan  govern- 
ment, yet  he  knew  the  practice  of  the  courts. 

Many  years  after,  when  Christianity  was  incorporated 
into  the  law,  and  the  administration  of  baptism  was 
accounted  an  act  of  sponsion,  an  event  fell  out  at  Car- 
thage, which  discovers  the  power  that  sponsors  or 
tutors  had  over  their  little  wards,  and  at  the  same 
time  it  shews  who  the  African  sponsors  were. 
The  Roman  Christians  first  established  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity  by  law  in  Africa.  The 
Vandals  followed,  and  established  Arianism.  This 
made  a  dreadful  dispute  about  baptized  children, 
who  were  not  always  of  a  mind  with  their  sponsors. 
Three  cases  will  exemplify  the  meaning  of  thi^. 

There  was  a  gentleman  at  Carthage  named  Elpidofo- 
rus,  who  on  his  own  profession  of  faith  was  baptized,  and 
admitted  a  member  of  the  Trinitarian  church.  The 
second  deacon,  named  Muritta,  assisted  him  at  his  bap- 
tism, that  is,  he  attended  him  to  the  baptistery,  and  im- 
mediately after  he  was  baptized,  and  came  out  of  the 
water,  put  upon  him  the  sabana,  or  white  linen  vest,  in 
which  he  walked  to  the  dressing-room,  and  which  he 
afterwards  wore  eight  days.  Muritta  is  called  on  this 
occasion  the  susceptor  of  Elpidoforus,  or  the  person 
who  received  him  coming  up  from  the  font.  This 
word   is   now-a-days   rendered  very  inaccurately  god- 

(1)  Saver  ct  Anton.  Impp.  De  testamentaria  tutel. 


176  OF    BAPTISM    IN    AFRICA,    &C. 

father.  Some  time  after  Elpidoforus  became  an  Arian, 
and  they  say,  got  into  power  and  persecuted  the  ortho- 
dox, and  among  the  rest,  Muritta.  The  old  man  was  a 
genuine  Carthaginian,  fell  as  a  tyger.  When  he  came 
before  Elpidoforus,  he  reproached  him  not  for  persecut- 
ing, but  for  being  a  disbeliever  of  the  Trinity.  Out 
he  pulled  from  under  his  cloak  the  sabana,  and  holding 
it  up  exclaimed  :  *'  Here,  Elpidoforus,  you  minister  of 
error,  this  linen  will  accuse  you  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. I  diligently  keep  it  for  a  testimony  of  your  per. 
dition,  to  plunge  you  into  the  bottomless  pit  burning 
with  fire  and  brimstone.  This,  you  wretch,  adorned 
you  when  you  came  up  innocent  from  the  font.  This, 
you  sorry  fellow,  this  will  fiercely  increase  your  punish- 
ment, when  you  are  cast  into  the  flames  of  hell,  because 
you  have  put  on  cursing  like  a  garment,  and  have  torn 
and  thrown  away  the  sacrament  of  faith  and  true  baptism. 
What  will  you  do,  you  wretch,  when  the  king  comes  in 
to  view  his  guests  ?  Will  he  not  resent  your  laying  aside 
this  nuptial  habit,  and  say,  where  is  the  wedding  gar- 
ment I  gave  you  ?"  If  Muritta  was  a  godfather,  this  is 
a  part  of  his  lecture  to  his  child,  who  had  been  born  of 
water  about  ten  months  before  this  time,  but  over  whom 
he  had  no  control  (2). 

Theucarius,  the  church  school-master,  became  an 
Arian  as  Elpidoforus  had  done,  with  this  difference, 
twelve  of  the  singing  boys  had  been  under  his  care,  and 
he  claimed  them  to  go  with  him  over  to  the  Arians. 
The  boys  liked  the  old  church  best,  and  protested  they 
held  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  With  the  Trinitarians 
they  staid  ;  but  Theucarius  recovered  every  one  of  them 
on  the  ground  of  the  right  of  a  tutor;  and  probably  he 
acquired  this  right  by  having  performed  an  act  of  spon- 
sion at  their  baptism.  The  orthodox  could  not  prevent 
it,  the  children  went  against  their  will,  and  there  was  no 
remedy,  though  Theucarius  gave  them  a  Carthaginian 
education,  and  drubbed  them  soundly  and  frequently  to 
convince  them  of  the  truth  of  his  creed  (3). 

The  third  case  is  that  of  Maximus,  mentioned  some 
time  ago,  who  suffered  with  Liberatus,  the  abbot,  who 
had  brought  him  up.  The  Arians  could  recover  twelve 
in  the  last  mentioned  case,  and  yet  they  could  not  recover 

(2)  Victor  Vitens.  Lib.  ?.  Cap.  ix.  (3)  Victor«»  tufi. 


OF  TH£  BAPTISM  OF  BABES,  &C.        177 

this  one,  though  they  were  exceedingly  desirous  to  do  so(  4). 
The  truth  is,  they  were  called  intkntuli,  and  were  all  under 
age,  and  at  the  disposal  of  their  guardians.  Theucarius 
recovered  his  twelve,  and  Liberatus  retained  his  one,  be- 
cause both  had  performed  an  act  of  sponsion  in  baptism 
at  taking  the  children  under  their  care.  They  that  think 
ignorance  the  parent  of  infant  baptism  are  very  much 
mistaken.  None  of  these  answer  exactly  to  the  English 
godfather.  Muritta  was  an  assistant  to  an  adult  for  a 
day  at  his  baptism.  Theucarius  and  Liberatus  were 
guardians,  fidejussors,  or  sponsors  for  the  whole  minor- 
ity of  the  children  under  their  care.  Nothing  in  all  this 
history  touches^ the  question  in  dispute,  for  the  arguments 
that  belong  to  the  baptism  of  boys  do  not  affect  the  case 
of  new-born  babes. 


CHAP.  XXII. 

OP   THE   BAPTISM    OF   BABES    IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAH. 

THE  baptism  of  babes  first  appeared  in  the  most  ig-^ 
norant  and  impure  part  of  the  catholick  world,  Africa. 
It  was  not  the  offspring  of  critical  learning  or  sound 
philosophy,  for  it  sprang  up  among  men  destitute  of  both, 
nor  did  any  one  ever  take  the  African  fathers  fof  philos* 
opliers,  or  critical  investigators  of  the  sacred  oracles  of 
God  ;  and  if  they  be  all  taken  for  moral  men,  they  are 
overprized,  for  an  eye-witness  hath  characterized  African 
christians  quite  otherwise.  He  says,  "In  spite  of  their 
vain  boasts  of  an  orthodox  faith,  they  were  Pagans  and 
blasphemers,  who  worshipped  idols  in  secret,  and  ded- 
icated their  children  in  their  infancy  to  demons.  They 
were  more  w  icked  in  their  morals  than  the  Pagan  Ro- 
mans had  ever  been.  They  resembled  the  frantick  fol- 
lowers of  Bacchus.  There  was  no  crime  that  they  did 
not  practise  ;  perjury,  debauchery  of  every  species,  op- 
pression, tyranny,  madness  and  wickedness  of  every  kind, 
so  that  the  people  groaned  for  a  revolution.  VVhen  in 
the  time  of  Augustine  the  Vandals  surrounded  Carthage 
to  besiege  it,  the  members  of  the  church  were  lying  along 
in  luxury  at  the  play,  or  at  some  publick  amusement, 

(4)  Ibid.  Passio  vii.  Monach, 

23 


178  «f    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

and  the  poor  were  more  wretched  and  more  wicked  than 
they  had  ever  been  under  the  Romans  (l). 

It  may  be  asked  how  a  church  so  grossly  wicked  ob- 
tained the  character  of  purity,  and  on  what  account 
some  of  the  clergy  were  canonized  for  saints,  a'ld  th& 
principal  of  them  considered  as  pillars  of  the  Catholick 
church  to  this  day  ?  The  true  answer  is,  they  placed  all 
religion  in  faith,  not  in  virtue,  and  their  bishops  were 
the  most  zealous  contenders  for  hierarchical  power  of 
any  that  ever  appeared  under  the  Christian  name  ;  and 
nothing  serves  the  purpose  of  absolute  dominion  more 
directly  than  the  baptism  of  babes. 

About  the  year  two  hundred  and  fifteen  the  tenth 
part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Carthage  \a  ere  reputed  Chris- 
tians, and  there  were  many  congregations  in  other  parts. 
Tertullian  had  thought  they  increased  too  fast,  and  lost 
in  the  crowd  the  simplicity  of  the  Christian  religion. 
Awhile  he  had  endeavoured  to  stem  the  torrent,  by  a 
strict  scrutiny  at  the  admission  of  members,  and  as  sev- 
eral  came  to  join  the  church,  who  had  been,  or  who 
pretended  they  had  been  baptized  elsewhere,  he  insisted 
on  re-examining  and  re-baptizing  them,  unless  they 
could  make  it  appear  they  had  been  baptized  by  church- 
es in  communion  with  that  at  Carthage  (z).  Congre- 
gations of  the  same  faith  and  order  held  communion 
with  each  other  then  exactly  as  all  congregations  da 
now  in  states  where  none  of  them  are  established  by 
law.  This  had  not  fully  answered  the  end  of  Tertul- 
lian, who  was  an  austere  man ;  and,  finding  that  the 
churches  of  his  own  communion  became  more  corrupt, 
he  quitted  them,  and  joined  the  Montanists.  There 
was  a  separate  congregation  formed  by  him  at  Carthage, 
which  continued  two  hundred  years,  and  then  fell  into 
the  established  church,  as  Augustine  says.  Agrippinus, 
the  first  bishop  of  Carthage  that  appears  in  history,  and 
seventy  other  bishops,  agreed  to  pursue  Tertullian's 
method  of  admitting  members,  and  they  re-baptized  all 
such  as  joined  them  from  other  communities  (3).  Suc- 
cessive bishops  continued  to  do  so  for  the  space  of  for- 
ty years,  and  when  Cyprian  became  bishop  of  Carthage, 

(1)  Salvlani  De  gubenat.  Dei.  Lib.  viil. 

(2)  J.  Forbesii.   Ins.ruct.  Hist.   Theol.  Lib.   x.  iv.     Concil.  Jrelatens,  i. 
Da  Pin Mosheim Labbei  Concil.  An.  217. 

(3)  Gypriani  Epist.  Ixxi.   ad  ^intum. 


IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  179 

ihe  affair  caused  an  open  rupture  between  him  and 
Stephen,  bishop  of  Rome.  Each  had  his  partizans. 
Each  assembled  councils  and  anathematized  the  other, 
and  hence  came  a  muhitude  of  vokimes  ancient  and 
modern  about  an  uninteresting  dispute,  whether  Stephen 
the  Baptist  at  Rome,  or  Cyprian  the  Anabaptist  at  Car- 
thage, should  be  the  pope  and  the  tyrant  over  all  other 
bishops  (4).  Neither  side  ever  entertained  a  thought 
of  making  the  people  free  :  but  bishops  and  schism, 
schism  and  bishops,  like  serpents,  run  hissing  through 
every  line  of  the  disgusting  history  of  the  contentions  of 
these  men.  Cyprian  was  an  ignorant  fanatick,  and  as 
great  a  tyrant  as  ever  existed.  A  man,  who  loves  lib- 
erty, will  see  very  little  in  Africa  to  stay  his  curiosity, 
except  it  be  hereticks,  who,  believe  what  they  would, 
had  the  virtue  to  resist  the  torrent,  and  worship  God  in 
freedom  and  peace.  The  orthodox  reproach  these  peo- 
ple because  they  had  neither  saints  nor  martyrs.  They 
had  no  saints  :  because  they  had  no  popes  to  canonize 
any.  They  had  few  or  no  martyrs  :  because  they  ex- 
ercised no  dominion,  and  gave  Pagan  governors  no 
umbrage.  No,  hereticks  had  no  martyrs  till  Christians 
made  them,  for  before  the  orthodox  got  themselves  es- 
tablished, they  were  as  good  Christians  as  the  rest. 
Hereticks  were  numerous  in  Africa  in  this  period,  but 
as  the  orthodox  had  not  then  got  the  sword  of  the  mag- 
istrate in  their  hands,  they  took  no  harm,  though  they 
formed  separate  assemblies,  because  they  thought  the 
orthodox  churches  consisted  mostly  of  tyrants  and 
slaves.  Basnage  observes,  when  two  country  bishops 
write  to  Capreolus,  the  bishop  of  Carthage,  thus  ran 
their  style  :  "  Vitalis  and  Constantius,  two  humble  sin- 
ners, your  most  humble  slaves,  prostrate  themselves  at 
your  feet,  and  conjure  your  apostleship  to  instruct  their 
littleness,  and  to  inform  them  what  the  church  ought  to 
believe  on  the  question,  whether  God  was  born  of  a  vir- 
gin :  because  some  condemn  this  expression.  We  be-, 
seech  your  blessedness  to  pardon  our  simplicity.  If  we 
err  it  is  through  ignorance  (5)." 

(4)  Cyprian,  Op Stephani  Epitt Coiicil.  Cartha^.  iii.  -  -  -  -  Va- 

sii  not.  ad  Euseb.  Bloadel.  de  primat Facundi   Defens.  triuin.  Cap. 


le' 


c.  &c. 


^  (5)  Sirmondi  Op.  Tom.  i.     See  the  whole  letter  in  Card.    De  Aguirre's 
2i  vol.  of  the  Councils  of  Spain,  p.  195. 


180  OF    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

One  of  this  sort  of  humble  bishops,  named  Fidus,  in 
the  year  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven,  wrote  to  Cyprian 
of  Carthage  to  know  whether  children  might  be  baptiz- 
ed before  they  were  eight  days  old,  for  by  his  bible  he 
could  not  tell  ;  nor  could  Cyprian  tell  without  consult- 
ing a  council,  which  was  about  to  be  assembled  on  two 
very  important  affairs.  While  these  wise  men  are  pre- 
paring to  attend  the  association  where  the  baptism  of 
babes  is  to  make  its  first  appearance  by  a  motion  from 
a  country  bishop,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  run  the  eye 
over  the  district  where  this  bishop  resided,  inhabited  by 
Pagans,  and  Christians  of  two  sorts.  Each  must  be  ex- 
amined apart. 

To  begin  with  the  Pagans.  Had  not  a  great  number 
of  authors  of  undoubted  veracity  ascertained  the  fact,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  believe,  that  any  class  of  mankind 
could  hir  reduced  to  such  a  state  of  baibarity  as  the  Af- 
ricans were.  There  was  a  ferocity  in  the  manners  of 
the  old  Carthaginians,  and  their  history  is  full  of  exam- 
ples of  the  cruel  insensibility,  with  which  they  shed  the 
blood  of  citizens  as  well  as  foreigners.  There  is  one 
remarkable  instance  of  this  at  the  surrender  of  Carthage 
to  the  Romans  (6).  The  soldiers  set  fire  to  a  temple. 
Asdrubal  the  general  of  the  Carthaginian  forces  took  an 
olive  branch,  and  went  to  the  Roman  general  Scipio  to 
sue  for  favour.  The  lady  of  Asdruba!,  transported  wih 
fury,  immediately  dressed  and  ornamented  herself  and 
her  two  children,  and  placing  herself  in  the  sight  of  the 
two  generals,  said  with  a  loud  voice  to  Scipio  :  "I 
make  no  imprecations  against  you,  O  Roman  :  for  you 
only  use  the  rights  of  war.  But  may  the  gods  of  Car- 
thage, and  you  in  concert  with  them,  punish  the  perfid- 
ious wretch,  who  hath  betrayed  his  country,  gods,  wife 
and  children,  as  he  deserves."  Then  addressing  her- 
self to  Asdrubal  :  *'  Vile,  perfidious,  basest  of  men, 
this  fire  will  soon  consume  me  and  my  children  :  as 
for  you,  unworthy  general  of  Carthage,  go  and  adorn 
the  triumph  of  your  conqueror,  and  suffer  in  the  sight 
©f  Rome  the  punishment  due  to  your  crimes.'*  Having 
so  said,  she  cut  the  throats  of  her  children,  and  threw 
them  into  the  fire,  and  then  leaped  into  it  herself, 

f  6>  RolUn's  Moman  Mimry.    Vol,  viii.     Third  Punic  luar.    Sect,  iii. 


I 


IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  181 

This  ferocity  they  carried  into  their  religion.  When 
Agathocles  was  upon  the  point  of  besieging  Carthage, 
the  inhabitants  imputed  their  misfortune  to  the  anger  of 
Saturn,  because  instead  of  children  of  the  first  quality, 
which  they  used  to  sacrifice  to  him,  they  had  fraudulent. 
ly  substituted  the  children  of  slaves  and  strangers  ia 
their  stead  (7).  To  make  amends  for  this  pretended 
crime,  they  sacrificed  two  hundred  children  of  the  best 
families  of  Carthage  to  that  god  ;  besides  which,  more 
than  three  hundred  citizens  offered  themselves  volunta- 
rily as  victims.  A  brazen  statue  of  Saturn  was  set  up, 
his  two  arms,  brought  almost  together,  were  extended 
downward  over  a  fierce  fire.  The  mothers  kissed  and 
decoyed  their  children  into  mirth  lest  the  god  should 
be  offended  with  the  ungracefulness  of  his  worshippers. 
The  priests  were  habited  in  scarlet,  and  the  victims  in  a 
bright  purple  vest  (  ,).  The  infants  were  laid  upon 
the  arms  of  the  statue,  and  rolled  into  the  fire ;  and  a 
rough  mubick  drowned  their  shrieks  lest  mothers 
should  hear  and  repent.  Plutarch  says,  they  who  had 
no  children,  used  to  purchase  those  of  the  poor  for  this 
horrid  purpose  (9).  So  the  citizens  of  Jerusalem  pur- 
diased  pigeons  and  lambs  of  the  country  people  for  sac- 
rifice in  the  temple. 

Historical  scepticism  is  a  virtue  in  a  great  many 
cases  :  but  there  is  no  room  for  it  in  this,  for  evidences 
both  sacred  and  profane,  put  it  beyond  all  reasonable 
doubt,  that  the  Phoenicians,  the  Druids,  the  Gauls,  the 
Carthaginians,  and  even  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans, 
offered  human  sacrifices  to  their  gods(l).  The  Greeks 
and  Romans  reformed  the  abuse  ;  ajid  as  the  Romans 
subdued  barbarous  nations  they  obliged  them  to  reform 
it.  The  first  decree  of  senate  that  forbade  human  vic- 
tims was  issued  about  ninety-seven  years  before  Christ, 
when  Cornelius  Lentulus  and  Licinius  Crassus  were 

(7)  RoUin  Vol.   iv.  Sect.  i. Justini   Hist,  Cap.  x\i. Plutarch, 

De  ger.    Reip Schelstrate   £ccl.  Afric.  Diss.  i.  Cap.  i. Pescenius 

Festus  apud  Lactant.  Histor.  --  Ex  Diodoro  refert  Caetius  Rbodicinus. 

(8)  TertuUian  De  TesUmon.  animx Z>f  Pail.  Cap.  iv. 

(9)  De  superstitione. 

(1)  Levit.  xviii.  21  -  -  xx.  2,  3.  -  -  Deut.  xviii.  10.  -  -  1  Kings  xi.  5,7  - - 
2  Kings  xvii.  31.  -  -  xxiii.  10  -  -  2  Cliron.  xxviii  3.  -  -  Psal.  cvi.  37,  38.-  - 
Jer.  xix.  5.  - .  Ezek.  xvi.  20,  &c.  -  -  xxiii   37,  &.c. 

Jacques  Saurin  Discoura  sur  lea  e<ven»mens  du  vieitx  et  du  tiouv.  Test.  A 
la  Haye.     171%.    Tom.  ii.  Disc.  xv.     Xe  V<eu  de  Jephtha. 


182  OF    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

consuls (9).  The  Africans  were  the  last  to  suppress 
this  infernal  custom,  and  it  uas  necessary  in  the  consul- 
ship of  Tiberius  to  make  publick  examples  of  some, 
who  persisted  in  it  (3).  TertuUian  declares,  and  he 
lived  among  them,  that  they  continued  to  practise  it  in 
private  when  he  v^rote  his  Apology,  which  was  above 
two  hundred  years  after  people  had  been,  executed  for 
it.  Ought  any  man  to  wonder  at  the  obstinacy  of  the 
custom  of  infant  sprinkling,  when  it  required  more  than 
three  hundred  years  to  suppress  infant  burning  ? 

Mr.  Bryant  hath  collected  and  arranged,  with  the  ut- 
most perspicuity,  undoubted  ancient  evidences  of  the 
almost  universality  of  the  horrid  custom  of  offering  hu- 
man sacrifices.  The  Egyptians,  the  Cretans,  the  Ara- 
bians, the  Persians,  the  Cyprians,  the  Rhodians,  the 
Phoceans,  the  lonians,  the  inhabitants  of  Chios,  Lesbos, 
and  Tenedos,  all  had  human  sacrifices.  All  the  Gre- 
cian states,  the  Romans,  the  Gauls,  the  Germans,  all 
the  people  of  the  North  of  every  denomination  offered 
human  victims.  The  like  custom  prevailed  to  a  great 
degree  at  Mexico,  and  even  under  the  mild  government 
of  the  Peruvians,  and  in  most  parts  of  America.  Mr. 
Bryant  adds  :  "  In  Africa  it  is  still  kept  up  ;  where,  in 
the  inland  parts,  they  sacrifice  some  of  the  captives  tak- 
en in  war  to  their  Fetiches,  in  order  to  secure  their  fa- 
vour. Snelgrave  was  in  the  king  of  Dahoome's  camp, 
after  his  inroad  into  the  countries  of  Ardra  and  Whi- 
daw  ;  and  says,  that  he  was  a  witness  to  the  cruelty  of 
this  prince,  whom  he  saw  sacrifice  multitudes  to  the  de- 
ity of  his  nation.  He  mentions  four  thousand  Whidaws 
being  sacrificed,  besides  people  of  other  nations.  To 
part  of  the  tragedy  he  was  an  eye-witness  (4)." 

As  Christianity  extended  itself  into  the  chief  towns  of 
any  kingdom,  heathenism  retired  into  the  remote,  inte- 
rior and  back  parts ;  and  this  it  was  that  induced  Chris- 
tians to  give  idolatry  the  name  of  Paganism,  and  to 
call  idolaters  Pagans,  because  while  Christianity  was 
professed  in  the  cities,  idolatry  continued  to  be  prac- 
tised in  what  they  called  the  pagos,  which  are  now  call- 
ed villages.      In  Africa,  behind  the  border  on  the  coast 

(2)  Dionis  Cassii  Hist.  Rom.  Lib.  xliii.  Hamburgi.  1759.  cum  notit 
Valesii,  Fabricii,  &c.  Plinii  Secundi  HisU  Nat.  Lib,  xxx.  i.  xxvii.  1.  Ad 
usum  Delphini.  Parisiis.  1685. 

(3)  Tertulliani  Jfiol.  Cap.  ix. 

(4)  Snelgrave's  Joyagt  to  Guinea,  pag.  31,  34. 


IN    THE     TIIHE     OF    CYPRIAN.  18S 

occupied  by  the  Romans,  lay  an  immeasurable  country, 
and  the  inhabitants  both  of  the  back  Ronian  borders, 
and  the  adjacent  territories,  having  no  intercourse  with 
the  rest  of  the  world,  continued  to  practise  an  idolatry 
as  barbarous  as  ever,  and  which  they  had  learnt  of 
the  old  Carthaginians,  who  had  been  merchants,  and 
who  had  driven  a  vast  trade  with  the  interior  part 
of  iVfrica  (3).  In  the  time  of  the  Romans  trade  took 
a  different  turn,  and  the  back-settlers  purchased  when 
they  could,  and  when  they  could  not,  killed  and  plun- 
dered, and  carried  off  booty,  to  sell  to  others  like  them- 
selves, who  sold  again  and  again,  till  the  commodities  got 
down  to  the  coast.  One  chief  article  of  this  traffick  was 
children.  The  innocent  lambs  uere  purchased  for  the 
two  purposes  of  servitude  and  sacrifice.  This  vast 
country,  extremely  populous,  and  consisting  of  many 
large  kingdoms,  as  Mandingo,  ^Ethiopia,  Congo,  Angola, 
Bi'utua,  Quiticui,  Monomotapa,  Cafati,  Mehenemugii, 
and  others,  abounding  with  riches,  as  gums,  ivory, 
wax,  civet,  ostrich  feathers,  the  finest  copper  in  the 
world,  an(!  gold  in  abundaiice,  this  country  hath  always 
neglected  lorcign  commerce,  and  t-a'^.-ked  with  such  as 
visited  their  coasts  in  one  another's  persons  (6).  Hence 
those  bloody  wars  with  eoch  other,  wisich  Europeans 
have  tempted  t»!<  m  to  undertake  tor  the  sake  of  procur- 
ing slaves,  1  he  natives  of  Africa  are  all  swarthy,  from  a 
light  copper  colour  to  the  deepest  black  ;  and  as  they  have 
in  51  ages  sold  one  another  into  slavery,  they  have  ha- 
bituated the  rest  of  mankind  to  connect  the  two  ideas  of 
black  and  slave  (7):  a  prejudice  which  some  have  so 
thoroughly  imbibed,  that  they  have  turned  it  into  an  ar- 
gument, and  applied  it  to  defend  that  horrible  combina- 
tion of  all  crimes,  the  slave  trade  (8).  It  was  commou 
in  the  times  under  consideration  for  these  savages  to 
make  incursions  where  Christians  lived,  and  to  carry 
away  whole  families.  There  is  a  letter  of  Cyprian  yet 
extant,  written  to  eight  bishops  of  Numidia,  in  which 
he  deplores  the  condition  of  such  captives,   and  along 

(5)  Leonis  Africjc  Descript.  Lut^d  1632. 

(6)  Postleihw.iyte's    D'Ctionary' of  trade.    London,  177'i. 

(7)  Granville  Sharp's  Just  Limitation  of  slavery.  Append,  Mr.   Bryant's 
Letter  to  Mr.  Sharp    London,  1776. 

(S)  Hume's   Essay  »n   National  CAarac(er«- -- -Bstwick's   Considerations 
on  the  Negro  Cause,  London.  1773. 


184(  OP    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

Mvith  which  he  sent  a  large  sum  collected  at  Carthage  te 
redeem  them  (9).  What  was  worse,  it  was  in  almost 
all  countries  the  custom  of  rusticks,  long  after  they  pro- 
fessed themselves  Christians,  to  sell  one  another  when 
they  could  conveniently  find  purchasers  ;  and  even  here 
in  this  country,  it  was  all  that  instruction,  seconded  by 
law,  could  do  to  put  an  end  to  the  practice.  The  laws 
of  king  Ethelred,  and  the  old  Saxon  homilies  of  those 
times,  in  which  the  Danes  infested  Britain,  before  the 
coming  of  the  Normans,  expressly  mention  it  (i).  Lu- 
pus in  his  homily  says,  parents  sold  their  children,  aid 
children  their  parents  ;  or  in  his  own  terma,  Jacier  sealde 
his  beam,  and  beam  his  moder  (2).  Such  v\  ere  the  Pa- 
gans, and  the  pagan  Christians  of  the  country  places  of 
Africa.  The  practice  prevails  at  this  day  among  the 
Tartars,  as  an  unquestionable  authority  declares  (5). 
Paul  of  Tarsus,  who  was  commissioned  to  teach  the 
religion  of  Jesus  to  the  Pagans,  was,  assuredly,  one  of 
the  wisest  of  mankind,  highly  qualified  to  discharge  that 
office,  which  the  God  of  goodness  had  committed  to 
him.  He  was  a  Jew,  but  so  free  from  naiional  preju- 
dice, that  he  perpetually  inculcated  the  fitness  and  per- 
fection of  Christianity  to  the  condition  of  mankind  at 
large,  and  was  always  remonstrating  against  the  incor- 
porating of  Judaism  in  whole  or  in  part  into  the 
Christian  religion.  If  an  angel  Jrom  heaijtn,  said  he, 
to  one  of  these  churches,  should  teach  you  otherwise, 
hold  him  accursed,  Judaizing  teachers,  adds  he,  come 
to  spy  out  Christian  liberty^  and  to  lead  you  back  i?no 
bondage.  Some  African  Christians  entered  into  the 
views  of  this  angel  of  a  man,  and  had  they  been  let 
alone  would  have  eftected,  by  cool  reasoning  and  exam- 
ple of  virtue  full  of  conviction,  a  slow  but  certain  cure  of 
all  the  ills  of  that  country  :  but  these  people  were  over- 
powered by  the  other  party  of  Jewish  Christians,  who 
called  them  hereticks  and  hard  names,  and  exposed 
them  to  popular  hatred  under  pretence  that  they  denied 

(9)  Epist.   Ix.    Ad.    Episcopus    Nuinidas.     De  redemptione  fratrum  ex 
captivitate  barbaroruin. 

(1)  Hen.    Spelmanni  Leges   JEthelredi.   1012.     Ne  quia   vendatur   extra 
patria7n. 

(2)  G.     Hickesii    Thesaur    Tom.  i.   Diss.   Epistolar.-    Sermo   Lupi    ad, 
Anglos,  pag.   102. 

(3)  Baron  De  Tott'e  Memoirs.    Vol.  i.  pag.  31,  &c. 


IN    THE     TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  185 

the  inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament.  For  their  parts 
they  held  the  Jewish  scripture  as  they  did  the  four  gos- 
pels as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  so  brought  out 
for  a  Jesus  a  sort  of  Egyptian  mummy  spiced  with  silly-, 
saws,  which  they  agreed  to  call  eloquen.ce,  and  hung  all 
over  with  awkward  hieroglyphicks  of  the  East.  The 
stupid  people  stared,  and  the  masters  of  the  show  told 
them  it  was  all  a  mystery,  but  there  was  somethii  g 
alive  and  wonderful  within.  Of  this  sort  were  those 
called  saints  and  bishops  of  Africa. 

The  African  fathers  were  the  least  of  all  others  tinctur- 
ed with  the  true  spirit  of  the  sublime  religion  of  Jesus. 
Slaves  themselves,  they  never  thought  of  Christian  liber- 
ty; and  even  Cyprian,  the  guide  of  the  rest,  durst  not 
think  for  himself,  but,  when  he  ordered  his  servant  to 
give  him  TertuUian,  used  to  say,  give  me  mv  master. 
A  late  learned  prelate  says  truly,  "  It  was  Judaism  mis- 
understood that  supported  them  in  their  ill  judged 
schemes.  They  travested  obscure  uncertainties,  nay, 
manifest  errors  into  truth  ;  and  sought  in  philosophy 
and  logick  analogies  and  quibbles  to  support  them. 
They  did  not  know,  that  the  more  perfect  dispensation 
could  not  take  place,  till  the  less  perfect,  which  prefigur- 
ed it,  and  prepared  its  way,  was  set  aside  and  abol- 
ished (4)." 

Collecting  into  one  point  of  view  all  the  forementioned 
facts,  the  eye  fixes  on  Fidus,  the  honest  and  humane 
.bishop  of  a  company  of  Christians  in  a  country  place  of 
Africa,  where  some  of  his  neighbours  bought,  stole, 
captivated,  and  burnt  children  :  where  some  of  his  flock 
returned  to  Paganism,  others  intermarried  with  pagaa 
families,  and  went  with  them  into  the  old  practices  of  sac- 
rificing as  formerly  children  to  their  gods  :  himself  filled 
with  Jewish  ideas  of  dedicating  children  to  the  true  God, 
and^  marking  them  by  circumcision  :  and  sending  for 
advice  to  Cyprian,  exactly  such  another  confused  genius 
as  himself.  Is  it  a  very  improbable  conjecture,  that 
Fidus  bethought  himself  of  baptizing  new  born  infants 
as  an  expedient  to  save  the  lives  of  the  lambs  of  his 
flock  ?  Nothing  could  be  more  natural,  or  to  a  man  of 
his  principles  come  more  of  course  ;  and  if  Fidus  did  so, 
he  deserves  to  be  reckoned  among  the  first  benefactors 
24 
(4)  Bp.  Warburton's  yuliaiu  Introduction,  xxviii,  -  -  -  xxxii.  - .  •  Jul.  8 . 


186  OF    THE    BAPTISM    OF     BAEE5 

of  mankind.  To  prevail  with  such  savages  to  dedicate 
their  infants  to  God  :  to  take  possession  of  them  by  the 
soft  method  of  dipping  them  in  water  :  to  procure  some 
persons  of  more  iufiuence  than  the  parents  to  become 
sponsors  for  the  babes  :  this  resembles  the  great  Alfred's 
uniting  Britons  into  tens,  and  forcing  every  nine  to 
pledge  themselves  that  the  tenth  should  enjoy  his  liberty 
and  his  life.  Monks  were  the  men,  who  took  care  of 
such  children,  and  the  complaints  of  bishop  Victor  in 
Africa,  and  Bishop  Lupus  in  England,  though  ages 
apart,  are  exactly  alike ;  for  both  say  that  they  who 
destroyed  monasteries  dispersed  children  educated  there, 
both  boys  and  girls,  some  resident  in  the  houses,  and  oth- 
ers day  scholars  (5).  Lupus  says,  servants  and  neigh- 
bours betrayed  such  houses  into  the  hands  of  invaders, 
and  gossips  and  godbearns  were  killed  or  carried  into 
captivity  (6).  A  fact  it  is,  that  the  African  Catholicks 
never  left  off  idolatry ;  they  at  Carthage  worshipped 
idols  in  private,  and  dedicated  their  children  to  them 
several  hundred  years  after  this  time  (7),  and  Augustine 
says,  in  his  days  the  Numidians  retained  so  much  rev- 
erence for  Saturn,  to  whom  their  children  had  been  sac- 
rificed in  Rames  of  fire,  that  they  would  not  pronounce 
his  name,  but  instead  of  saying  Saturn's  town,  which  was 
the  name  of  the  place  devoted  to  this  monstrous  worship, 
they  used  to  say  the  town  of  the  old  one  (8).  Just  so 
the  Jews  treated  the  name  of  Jehovah,  wMiich,  because 
they  could  not  pronounce  with  reverence  enough,  they 
used  to  call  the  name  of  three  letters  (9).  There  is  but 
one  objection  against  this  conjecture  of  the  rise  of  infant 
baptism,  that  is,  that  Cyprian  doth  not  expressly  mention 
tliis  as  a  cause.  Cyprian's  letter  is  an  answer  from  a 
body  of  men,  but  neither  doth  it  contain  the  letter  of 
Fidus,  nor  all  that  was  said  in  the  company  ;  and  it  would 
have  been  very  unwise  in  a  letter  intended  to  be  made 
publick  to  expose  the  crimes  of  their  proselytes,  for  they 
would  have  been  amenable  to  the  law,  and  the  Roman 
accusation  of  infanticide  would  have  been  charged  home 

(5)  Victor,  ut  sup.  (6)  Lup.  Horn,  ut  sup. 

(7)  Salviatil.  De  Gubernat.  Dei.    Lib.  vii.  240. 

(8)  S   Atig-ustini.  Op.  De  consensu  evangelist.  Lib.  i. 

(9)  Bern,  de  Montfancon  Antiq.  Tom,  ii.  Par.  ii.  Lib.  v.  Religio  vetet-. 
Galloi:  Ilispanor  e  Carthaginiensium.  Cap.  8.  Carthaginienses  Uberoa  sues- 
Saturno  sacrijicabant. 


IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  187 

on  all  Christians  through  the  brutality  of  a  few,  whom 
others  were  striving  to  reform.  The  subject  is  certainly 
a  vast  field,  and  not  to  be  traversed  here  ;  but  whoever 
examine  the  writings  of  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  Salvian, 
Victor,  Optatus,  Arnobius,  Minucius,  Julius,  Augustine, 
and  Fulgentius,  all  Africans  except  Salvian,  and  some 
say  he  was,  will  find  reason  to  conclude  that  this  is  not 
a  mere  guess,  but  a  natural  and  well  grounded  proba- 
bility on  the  introduction  of  the  baptism  of  babes  (1). 
Peace  be  with  the  ashes  of  Fidus  !  he  ought  to  have 
been  canonized  ;  for  it  was  a  well  judged  temporary 
expedient,  and  some  who  do  not  see  it  necessary  to 
follow  his  example,  because  they  are  not  in  the  same 
circumstances,  honour  the  man  for  his  faithful  attach- 
ment to  the  dictates  of  humanity,  and  his  ingenious 
scheme  in  favour  of  benevolence.  There  are  three  ob- 
servations of  great  weight,  which  deserve  consideration. 
First,  there  are  several  reasons  to  suspect  that  the  letter 
to  Fidus  is  all  2iJorgery.  Secondly,  canonists  expound 
it  as  a  direction  to  be  Ibllowed  only  in  cases  of  necessity. 
And  lastly,  it  is  absolutely  certain  it  had  110  authority  out 
of  the  province,  no  more  in  it  than  people  choose  to 
give  it,  and,  as  it  was  written  in  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five,  and  Cyprian  was  put  to  death  in  two  hundred  and 
fifty  eight,  it  could  not  have  much  effect. 

The  council  at  Carthage  proves  the  mildness  of  the 
Roman  government,  and  at  the  same  time  it  displays 
the  disposition  of  Cyprian  and  his  brethren,  and  fully 
proves  that  they  were  erecting  an  hierarchy  on  the  plan 
of  the  old  Levitical  economy,  and  as  Cyprian,  lived  at 
Carthage,  he  acted  the  part  of  Aaron.  It  was  for  this, 
and  neither  for  their  faith  nor  their  virtue  that  the  Ro- 
mans punished  them.  Never  had  any  men  a  more  violent 
passion  for  absolute  power  than  those  African  bishops  ; 
and  never  had  men  less  ability  to  exercise  it.  Other 
tyrants  gloss  despotism  over  with  power,  or  splendour, 
or  eloquence,  or  something ;  but  these  men  had  not  one 
qualification  in  the  world  to  recommend  them,  and  none 

(1)  Optati  Op.  cum  notis  Albaspinaei  et  BalcUiini.  •  -  -  In  can.  concll. 
Eliberini  not.  Cap.  1.  De  liis,  qui  post  baptisnuim  iclolis  immolaverunt.-- 
De  sacerdotlbns  gentilium,   qui  post  baptismum  immolaverunt.  acceclente 

liomicidio Cap.  iii.    De  eisdem  si  idolis  muuus  tantum  dedei  iint  . .  -  - 

Cap.  iv.  De  eisdem,  si  catecliumeni  adliuc  immolant  quando  baptiseiitur. 
Can.  V.  Si  Domina  per  zelum  ancillam  Occident,  Can.  vi.  Si  quicunque 
pel-  malcficium  hominem  interfecerit,  &.c.  &c. 


18S         OF  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES 

but  Africans  would  have  submitted  to  such  masters,  un- 
k'lovvn  to  the  state,  and  unsupported  by  authority. 
Aituoness  is  the  parent  and  nurse  of  insolence. 

This  council  of  about  sixty  or  seventy  met  (2).  The 
solemn  affairs  came  on.  One  was  this.  There  was  a 
bishop  named  Rogatian,  who  had  in  his  church  a  contu- 
melious deacon,  ai^ainst  whom  Roi^atian  complained  that 
he  treated  him  his  bishop  with  contumacy,  that  is,  dis- 
obedience. Nothing  else  was  laid  to  his  charge,  ex- 
cept an  insinuation  that  he  was  a  younger  man  than  his 
bishop.  My  Lord  of  Carthage  took  the  opinions  of  his 
coiieagues  as  learned  iuthe  law  as  himself,  and  wrote  for 
answer  to  Rogatian  :  "  that  the  council  was  extremely 
shocked  at  the  contents  of  his  letter,  which  informed 
them  that  his  deacon  had  treated  him  with  contumacy  : 
that  he  himself  had  power  to  vindicate  the  dignity  of  his 
office  by  excommunicating  such  a  refractory  man,  though 
in  his  great  humility  he  had  applied  to  his  brother  bish- 
ops in  council.  God  himself  had  decided  the  case  in 
the  17th  of  Deuteronomy,  by  saying  the  man  that  will 
do  presumptuously,  and  will  not  hearken  to  the  priest, 
even  that  man  shall  die.  And  all  the  people  shall  hear, 
and  fear,  and  do  no  more  presumptuously.  This  was 
the  sin  of  Corah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  It  was  for  this 
God  said  to  Samuel,  they  have  not  rejected  thee,  but 
they  have  rejected  me.  If  Paul  said,  let  no  man  despise 
thy  youth  ;  how  much  rather  may  we  say,  let  no  man 
despise  thine  old  age.  This  is  the  spring  of  all  heresies 
and  schisms.  Deacons  ought  to  recollect  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  himself  elected  apostles,  that  is,  bishops  ;  but  as 
for  deacons,  they  were  instituted  after  the  death  of  Jesus 
only  by  apostles.  This  deacon,  therefore,  ought  to  re- 
pent and  give  his  bishop  full  satisfaction  ;  and  if  not,  he 
ought  to  be  excommunicated.  If  others  encouraye  and 
imitate  him,  they  ought  to  be  treated  in  the  same  man- 
ner.    Farewell,  Brother." 

The  second  cause  tried  before  the  court  was  this.  A 
Christian  man,  it  should  seem  a  bishop,  named  Geminius 
Victor,  had  departed  this  life,  and  by  will,  duly  execut- 
ed, had  appointed  his  brother  Geminius  Faustinus,  a 
preaching  elder,  executor  of  his  will,  and  guardian  of  his 

(2)  Labbei.  Condi.  Tom.  i.  Condi.  African,  ad  Collapsam  ecdesix  dis- 
diplinam  reformandatn.  An.  257.  Cypriani.  Epiat.  Ixv.  ad  Hogatianum 
episcopum.     De  auperbo  diacono.  .., 


IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  189 

children  (3).  This  was  an  heinous  crime  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Fathers.  For  a  man  to  presume  to  employ  the  cler- 
gy in  secular  affairs,  when  God  had  appointed  them  as 
the  tribe  of  Levi,  to  exercise  themselves  in  divine  things, 
and  had  commanded  all  other  men  to  cultivate  the  earth, 
and  to  follow  businesses,  and  to  support  the  Lord's 
priests  with  the  tenth  of  their  labours,  was  a  great  crime, 
and  a  dangerous  precedent.  It  was  ordered  that  the 
dead  man's  name  should  be  struck  out  of  the  diptychs  : 
and  that  such  as  in  future  should  imitate  his  example, 
and  employ  the  clergy  to  do  any  secular  business,  should 
be  excommunicated. 

Lastly,  comes  the  question  about  infant  baptism  (4). 
The  letter  written  by  Fidus  was  read  :  but  as  it  is  lost, 
a  judgment  of  it  can  only  be  formed  by  what  Cyprian 
hath  said  of  it.  It  is  not  known  who  Fidus  was.  The 
precise  question  before  the  association  was,  at  what  age 
may  infants  be  baptized  ?  Fidus  thought  at  eight  days, 
because  the  law  of  circumcision  prescribed  this  time. 
*'  No,"  replied  the  council ;  "  God  denies  grace  to 
none ;  Jesus  came  not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to 
save  them  ;  and  we  ought  to  do  all  we  can  to  save  our 
fellow  creatures.  "  Beside,"  added  they,  "  God  would 
be  a  respecter  of  persons,  if  he  denied  to  infants  what  he 
grants  to  adults.  Did  not  the  prophet  Elisha  lay  upon 
a  child,  and  put  his  mouth  upon  his  mouth,  and  his  eyes 
upon  his  eyes,  and  his  hands  upon  his  hands  ?  Now 
the  spiritual  sense  of  this  is,  that  infants  are  equal  to 
men  ;  but  if  you  refuse  to  baptize  them,  you  destroy 
this  equality,  and  are  partial." 

Fidus  had  a  second  difficulty  stronger  than  the  first. 
It  was  the  custom  to  kiss  the  persons  newly  baptized  ; 
but  he  informed  the  council  in  his  letter,  that  infants 
were  reputed  unclean  the  first  seven  days,  and  therefore 
people  did  not  choose  to  kiss  them.  This  was  an  arti- 
cle of  great  consequence.  The  fathers  answered ;  "  You 
are  mistaken,  Fidus  ;  children  in  this  case  are  not  un- 
clean, for  the  apostle  saith, — to  the  pure  all  things  are 
pure.  No  man  ought  to  be  shocked  at  kissing  what 
God  condescends  to  create.  Circumcision  was  a  carnal 
rite,  this  is  spiritual  circumcision,  and  Peter  saith  we 
ought  not  to  call  any  man  common  or  unclean." 

(3)  Cyp.    Epist.  Ixvi.   Ad  derum  et  plebem  Furmtanorum. 

(4)  Cyp.   Epist.  Ixn.  ad  Fidum. 


190  OF    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

They  proceed,  and  say  :  "  If  baptism  ought  to  be  de- 
ferred, it  should  be  to  adults  who  have  committed  great 
crimes;  but  if  they  be  admitted  on  repentance,  how 
much  rather  should  infants  be  baptized,  who  have  not 
committed  such  crimes,  and  who  come  into  the  world 
crying  for  baptism." 

On  this  part  of  church  history,  different  persons  make 
very  different  reflections.  A  statesman  asks.  Did  the 
proconsul  of  the  province  know  that  seventy  obscure 
men,  without  any  authority  from  government,  held  a 
court  of  judicature,  and  by  a  foreign  law  of  Judea  ad- 
judged a  citizen,  without  hearing  him,  to  die  for  refus- 
ing to  obey  the  mandate  of  one  of  their  order  ?  This, 
then,  accounts  for  many  events  falsely  called  persecu- 
tio'is,  and  many  executions  called  martyrdoms.  The 
correspondence  between  Cyprian  of  Carthage  and  Cor- 
nelius, bishop  <it  Rome,  is  a  system  of  the  most  atro- 
cious tyranny  ;  and  it  is  astonishing  if  government  had 
aiy  knowledge  of  their  practices,  that  patience  deferred 
their  martvrdom  so  long. 

A  gentleman  of  the  long  robe  asks.  Who  are  these 
that  hold  a  court  of  Nisi  prius,  and  unauthorized  by  any 
legislative  power  of  the  empire  set  aside  wills,  and  ex- 
empt some  citizens  from  offices  under  the  false  pretence 
that  they  are  Jews  of  the  family  of  one  Aaron,  while  all 
the  world  knows  they  are  natives  of  Africa,  and  subjects 
of  Rome. 

A  philosopher  inquires,  What  branch  of  reasoning  this 
belongs  to  :  Elisha  at  the  command  of  God  restores  a 
youth  to  life  ;  and  therefore  Fidus  by  order  of  Cyprian 
ought  to  dip  new  born  babes  ? 

African  ladies,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  burn 
their  children,  might  not  be  much  shocked  at  a  man's 
intruding  into  a  lying-in-room,  and  agitating  in  publick, 
before  seventy  other  men,  questions  about  the  unclean- 
ness  of  new  born  infants:  but  P^uropean  ladies  must  be 
excruciated  at  the  indelicacy  of  such  men,  and  the  hor- 
ror of  making  such  debates  parts  of  a  body  of  theology 
to  be  studied  by  candidates  for  the  ministry. 

Divines  will' observe  what  it  was  that  made  a  saint  : 
and  what  constituted  an  heretick  ;  and  some  will  think 
that  the  African  arguments  for  infant  baptism  are  as  good 
as  any  that  have  ever  been  invented  since  :    but  which 


IN    THE     TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  191 

of  its  two  qualities  hath  contributed  most  to  support  its 
ere  lit  in  the  world,  the  logick  or  the  ferocity  of  Car- 
tha:i;e,  must  be  left  to  the  wise  to  determine. 

On  the  whole  it  is  manifest,  this  infant  baptism  is  en- 
tirely different  from  that  proposed  in  the  time  of  Tertul- 
lian.  That  was  the  baptism  of  litde  ones,  who  asked  to 
be  baptized  :  this,  of  new-born  babes.  That  was  sup- 
ported and  rejected  by  New-Testament  texts  and  argu- 
ments :  this  is  grounded  on,  and  defended,  and  regu- 
lated by  Jewish  law.  That  required  the  consent  of 
sponsors  :  this  mentions  none.  That  was  a  joining  of 
them  to  the  church  :  this  is  a  dedicating  of  them  to  God. 
Scholiasts  observe,  this  was  contrary  both  to  Tertullian 
and  the  practice  of  the  aposdes  (5).  It  doth  not  appear 
that  infants  were  baptized  at  Carthage,  or  any  where 
else,  except  in  the  country  where  Fidus  lived,  and  there 
because,  says  Cyprian,  as  Jesus  came  to  save  men's 
Ihes,  we  ought  to  do  all  we  can  to  further  his  kind  inten- 
tion, and  like  the  prophet  recal  to  life  children  under  a 
sentence  of  death.  An  opinion  of  council  that  Fidus 
ought  to  baptize  infants  is  very  far  from  proving  that 
the  advisers,  who  were  in  different  circumstances,  did 
so.  In  brief,  infant  baptism  subverts  the  great  princi- 
ple of  the  Christian  religion,  which  is,  that  men  are 
made  Christians,  and  not  born  so. 

The  idea  of  dedicating  children  to  God,  was  very 
specious,  and  had  the  air  of  superior  piety.  It  met  also 
the  general  notions  of  those  Christians,  who  had  chang- 
ed the  primitive  ground  of  action,  and  had  taken  the  old 
testament  for  a  rule  of  religion  to  Christians.  There 
they  found  the  history  of  Hannah,  and  the  dedication  of 
her  son  Samuel  to  God  before  he  was  born.  This  was 
a  very  agreeable  history  to  ladies,  who  desired  chil- 
dren, and  as  monks  and  priests  thought  themselves  the 
successors  of  Eli,  they  encouraged  the  frenzy,  and  pre- 
tended to  obtain  children  by  praying  for  them.  By  this 
well  conceited  fiction  they  became  spiritual  fathers,  and 
then  it  became  their  duty  to  educate  their  children, 
which  they  were  ready  to  do  in  their  monasteries.  It  is 
evident  to  a  demonstration  that  a  vast  number  of  le- 
gends are  fables  formed  on  the  history  of  Samuel.  A 
man  and  woman  live  together  many  years,  and  have  no 

(5)  Rigaltii.  Not<r  in  loc. 


192  OF    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES 

children.  The  good  lady  becomes  wretched,  and  ap- 
plies to  some  holy  monk  or  priest  for  the  aid  of  his 
prayers.  He,  as  a  condition,  requires  her,  if  God 
should  answer  his  request,  that  she  should  dedicate  the 
child  to  God.  She  agrees  ;  presently  she  has  a  son. 
When  she  hath  suckled  and  weaned  him,  she  carries 
him  to  the  spiritual  father  to  educate,  who,  having  learnt 
him  to  say  mass,  and  work  miracles,  sends  him  out  to 
fill  some  conspicuous  station  in  the  church,  where  he 
lives  a  virgin,  dies  a  saint,  and  shines  through  succes- 
sive ages  in  red  letters  in  the  calendar. 

Under  all  this  mass  of  fable  lie  a  few  truths.  It  is  a 
fact,  that  dedicating  children  to  God  by  baptism  was 
first  heard  of  in  Africa.  It  is  certain  the  notion  of  dedi- 
cation is  found  all  over  the  empire  within  one  hundred 
years  after  the  time  it  appeared  in  Africa.  It  is  also 
certain,  that  many  who  dedicated  their  children  to  God 
before  their  birth  did  not  baptize  them  in  infancy,  as 
was  observed  in  the  two  most  eminent  families  of  the 
Greek  church,  those  of  Basil  and  Nazianzen.  It  is  e- 
qually  clear,  that  monks  took  dedicated  children  to  prepare 
for  baptism,  and  nothing  would  be  easier  than  to  demon- 
strate that  baptism  went  down  by  degrees,  and  did  not 
arrive  at  dedicated  new  born  infants,  except  in  Africa, 
where  it  was  intended  to  save  their  lives,  till  the  fifth 
century.  Bishops  who  all  did  what  they  pleased  in 
their  own  dioceses,  and  monks  who  had  no  masters, 
brought  forward  baptism  by  visions,  and  some  who 
were  overstocked  with  children  published  resolutions 
that  they  would  receive  no  more  (6).  One  example  of 
this  sort  of  legends  may  suffice.  Near  an  hundred  and 
fifty  years  after  the  time  of  Cyprian  there  lived  at  Meli- 
tene,'a  city  in  Armenia,  a  gentleman  named  Paul,  who 
had  been  long  married  to  Dionysia,  and  had  no  chil- 
dren. In  their  distress  they  applied  to  Polyeuctes 
teacher  of  a  church  in  the  neighbourhood.  He  advised 
fervent  prayer.  One  night  as  they  were  all  employed 
in  this  holy  exercise  they  had  a  vision,  and  a  voice 
said  ;  Be  of  good  comfort,  God  hath  granted  you  a  son, 
Euthyraias,  a  son  of  joy.  In  due  time  Dionysia  lav  in, 
and  the  child  was  named  Euthymias,  and  the  parents 

(6)  E.  Martene.  Veter.  Script,  et  Monument.  Collectio  not.  Rotoinagi, 
1700.  Antiq  Con  suetud.  Canon.  Regular.  Monast.  S.  Jacob,  de  Monteforti. 
Cap.  XXV.  Depueris. 


IN    THE    TIME    OF    CYPRIAN.  193 

vowed  to  dedicate  him  to  God.  About  three  years  af- 
ter Paul  died.  Dionysia  consulted  her  brodier  Eudox- 
ius,  who  wiis  an  assistaiu  to  the  bishop  of  the  cliurch  in 
the  city,  what  she  should  do  with  the  child,  fie  told 
her  Otreius  the  bishop  was  a  very  holy  man,  and  he  ad- 
vised her  to  offer  Euthymias  to  hirn.  She  did  so.  O- 
treius  inquired  whether  she  had  determined  on  any  line 
of  life  for  him.  Eudoxius  the  uncle  then  told  him  the 
whole  story  of  Polyeuctes,  and  the  vision,  and  that  the 
mother  had  only  dedicated  him  to  God  in  general. 
Otreius  was  astonished,  and  looking  intently  on  the 
child,  he  exclaimed,  "  Verily  the  spirit  of  God  rests 
upon  this  boy."  He  therefore  provided  for  the  mother 
by  making  her  deaconness  of  the  church,  and  he  be- 
came a  parent  to  the  child,  whom  he  ordered  in  the 
end  to  be  baptized,  his  hair  clipped  off,  his  name  to 
be  put  on  the  list  of  church  officers,  and  himself  to  be 
employed  first  as  a  reader,  and  afterward  as  a  teacher  m 
the  church  (7).  At  what  age  precisely  this  dedicated 
child  of  christian  parents  was  baptized  is  not  certain  : 
but  it  is  clear  he  was  not  baptized  at  his  birth,  or  dur- 
ing the  first  three  years  of  his  Ihe.  Tiie  whole, 
however,  it  is  expressly  said,  was  conducted  by  a 
rule  written  in  the  book  of  Samuel,  not  as  a  rule 
even  for  Jesus,  but  as  an  anecdote  of  ancient  his- 
tory. This  mistake  of  the  Old  Testament  was  the 
source  of  almost  all  the  errors  of  those  times.  The 
■teachers  acted  the  part  of  Eli,  and  became  priests. 
The  people  acted  that  of  El kanah  and  Hannah,  and  ded- 
icated their  children  to  God(8).  The  children  thought 
themselves  extraordinary  persons,  and  acted  tlie  part  of 
Samuel,  and  in  process  of  time,  behold  !  like  Samuel, 
they  made  and  unmade  kings  :  distracting  and  dethron- 
ing Sauls,  anointing  Davids,  and  hewing  Agags  to 
pieces  before  the  Lord.  Hence  the  divine  right  of  kings, 
for  God  always  spoke  by  his  servants,  the  priests  :  and 
hence  unction  by  the  clergy  to  this  day.  They  perpet- 
ually quote  passages  from  the  Old  Testament,  and  par- 
ticularly from  Sumj<.l,  for  all  t'lis  in  their  deeds.  Be- 
hold how  great  a  matter  a  little  fire  kindlcth  ! 

(7)  Cyrilli,  Scythopolatini  Vita  S    Eiithvmii   Abbatis.   Interprete  Jacob© 
Loppiii.  apud.  Anale^t.  Grcec.  Btnedxthi    p^g;  6. 

(8)  Melcliioris  Goldasti  Monarchia   Hanavioe  auctor  trdcat.  varior.  1611. 
Philoth.    AchilUni,  De  Jurisdlct.  Reg.et  Sarcerdot.  Cap.  167. 

25 


194  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUGUSTINE    TO 

There  were  many  of  the  clergy  of  those  times,  who 
were  unmarried,  but  who,  however,  kept  single 
sisters,  or  beloveds,  as  they  called  them,  of  singular 
beauty,  and  in  the  prime  of  life  (9).  This  abuse, 
as  all  others,  prevailed  most  in  Africa  ;  and  Cypri- 
an, to  his  honour  be  it  said,  endeavoured  to  reform  it : 
but  it  was  out  of  his  power.  It  is  a  subject  too  indel- 
icate to  be  unfolded  :  but  it  may  be  easily  imagined, 
that  if  any  of  these  virgins  became  mothers,  their  chil- 
dren were  eminently  children  of  God,  and  if  others 
were  dedicated  and  baptized,  these  ought  to  have  had 
the  Lord's  supper  administered  to  them. 

Putting  these  facts  together,  the  result  forms  not  a 
very  improbable  conjecture  on  the  rise  of  the  baptism  of 
babes  in  Africa.  Priscilla,  Quintilla,  and  Maximilla 
Were  "  ladies  remarkable  for  their  opulence,  and  for  a 
high  degree  of  warmth  in  religion"  (l).  Where  could 
the  zeal  and  tenderness  of  the  fair  sex  find  such  scope 
for  the  etfusion  of  those  soft  passions,  which  are  the 
glory  of  their  sex,  as  in  the  back  parts  of  the  Roman 
provinces  in  Africa  ?  On  the  coast  the  laws  against  hu- 
man victims  guarded  the  lives  of  infants :  but  up 
high  in  the  country  the  law  had  spent  its  force,  and 
the  custom  of  the  desert  stepped  over  the  line,  and 
purchased  the  innocent  lambs  for  sacrifice.  To  per- 
suade the  poor  parents  to  dedicate  them  to  God,  and  to 
prevail  with  a  man  of  account  to  become  a  sponsor,  and 
put  his  name  on  these  little  innocents,  was  at  once  to 
place  them  under  the  shadow  of  the  gospel  and  the  law. 
A  hazardous  undertaking,  said  the  stern  TertuUian  : 
True,  replied  the  compassionate  ladies  :  but  Jesus  said. 
Give  to  him  that  asketh  :  and  suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me.  Fidus  improved  upon  tnis,  and  redu- 
ced baptism  to  the  size  of  babes. 


CHAP.  XXIII. 

OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF     AUGUSTINE    TO    BRING    IN    THE    BAPTISM. 
OF    BABES. 

AUGUSTINE,  who,  for  his  zealous  labours  in  fa- 
vour of  the  cause  of  enthusiasm  and  church  power, 
hath  been  since  his  death  canonized  for  a  saint,  was  the 

(9)  Muralorii  Anscdot,  Grxc.  Pag.  2l8.         (1)  Mosheim  Eccles.  Miau 


BRING    IN    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  195 

principal  doer  in  Africa  during  his  episcopate  ;  and  his 
conduct  was  so  much  governed  by  the  violence  of  his 
own  passions,  irritated  by  the  unreniitted  opposition  of 
his  neighbours,  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  give  a 
sketch  of  his  character  and  that  of  his  opponents,  in  or- 
der to  account  for  the  fraud  and  force  used  to  introduce 
the  baptism  of  babes. 

Augustine  was  not  always  a  saint,  and  his  history  in 
brief  is  this  (1)  He  was  born  in  the  year  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  at  Tageste  in  Africa  of  poor  but 
Christian  parents.  His  father  was  a  soldier  named  Pa- 
tricius,  his  mother  was  called  Monica,  and  celebrated 
for  her  eminent  superstition,  which  her  party  called  piety. 
His  parents  forced  him  to  go  to  school,  but  he  discover- 
ed no  inclination  for  learning.  He  had  a  fit  of  sickness 
in  his  youth,  in  which  he  was  very  near  being  baptized, 
being  in  fear  of  death  :  but  his  mother  as  he  got  better 
persuaded  him  to  defer  it,  for  she  knew  him  and  the 
world  better  than  he  knew  either.  He  recovered,  and  jus- 
tified all  her  fears,  for  he  became  a  debauched,  unsettled, 
profligate  young  man  to  the  excessive  grief  of  his  moth- 
er. In  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age  he  began  to  plunge 
into  vice,  and  though  he  was  very  poor,  and  partly  sup- 
ported by  the  charity  of  one  Rominian,  yet  he  kept  a 
mistress.  He  picked  up  a  few  scraps  of  learning  at 
Carthage,  and  after  that  lived  a  rambling  life,  teaching 
what  little  he  knew  of  grammar  and  rhetoiick,  first  at 
Tageste,  and  then  at  Carthage.  His  mother,  whose 
husband  had  died  when  her  son  was  about  eighteen,  more 
miserable  about  the  profligacy  of  her  son  than  the  loss 
of  her  husband,  went  to  Carthage  to  tr}'  if  possible  to  re- 
form him.  He,  without  acquainting  his  mother,  or  Ro- 
minian his  benefactor,  got  a  board  a  vessel,  crossed  over 
to  Italy,  and  went  with  his  lady  to  Rome,  where  by  some 
means  he  became  acquainted  with  Symmachus.^  the  P/ae- 
fectof  ihecity,  who  knowing  they  wanted  a  teacher  of  rhet- 
orick  at  Milan,  sent  him  thither.  His  mother  hearing  he 
persisted  in  his  former  course  of  life  crossed  over  to  Milan, 

(1)  Bayk's    Gen.    Diet.     Life    of    Aug'nstine  -  -  -  -  Posedi     Ca/atnensu 

Episc.   Vita    Aug. .  .  C.  Lancillolti    Vita    Aug Aug.    Gp.    Confess 

Tract  -  -  -  Confess.  Epist.  tsfc.  S.  August'ni  opera  ovinia  curn  vita  per 
Francisc.  Delfaii,  Thorn.  Blampin,  Pet.  Constant,  et  Claud  Guesnie 
Benedictinos  Parisiis  1679,  et  ann.  seqq.  xi  torn,  in  viii.  vol  tol  .... 
Joannis  Clerici  appendix  Augustiana  -  -  -  cinn  notis,  nee  non  Disseri.  Knsw 
ft  animadvers.  in  S.  Au^tatini  Opera,  Antuerpie  1703- 


196  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUCU3T1NE     T9 

to  try  once  more  to  reform  him.  She  found  he  went 
sometimes  to  hear  Ambrose  the  bishop  at  Milan ;  but 
this  did  not  satisfy  her  as  he  continued  his  former 
course  of  living,  and  kept  the  woman  whom  he  brought 
from  Carthage,  and  the  child  which  she  had  by  him» 
now  about  thirteen  years  of  age.  She,  good  woman, 
larT>ei»ted  his  condition,  and  besought  him  to  marry,  and 
reform  his  life.  He  pretended,  that  he  was  not  a  Pagan, 
that  indeed  he  was  not  of  his  mother's  church,  but  how- 
ever he  was  of  one  much  better,  he  was  of  the  Maniche- 
ans,  a  people  so  remarkable  for  love  of  virtue,  that  they 
called  themselves  Puritans.  This  did  not  content  the 
old  lady,  who  thought,  let  him  be  of  what  denomination 
he  would,  he  was  of  that  class  which  God  had  threaten- 
ed to  judge.  At  length  he  gave  out  that  as  he  was 
walking  in  a  garden  he  heard  a  voice  from  heaven 
calling  to  liim  and  saying.  Take  up  the  epistles  of  Paul 
and  read  them.  He  obeyed  the  voice,  opened  the 
book,  and  found  out  what  any  Pagan  could  have  told 
him  without  a  revelation  from  heaven,  that  rioting  and 
drunkenness,  chambering  and  wantonness,  were  grievous 
crimes.  He  determined  therefore  to  marry,  and  as  a 
proof  of  his  sincerity  he  put  his  name  on  the  list  of 
Catechumens.  He  fixed  his  eyes  on  a  girl  who  would 
be  marriageable  two  years  hence.  He  sent  his  old  mis- 
tress back  to  Carthage.  He  kept  the  child,  and  put 
him  also  into  the  Catechumen  list,  and  while  father  and 
son  were  preparing  for  baptism,  he  took  another  mis- 
tress into  keeping  till  the  young  lady  should  come  of 
age.  Mean  time  he  wrote  books  in  defence  of  that  religion 
which  he  was  about  to  embrace.  He  understood  nei- 
ther Greek  nor  Hebrew  ;  however,  he  expounded  both 
the  Old  Testament  and  the  New.  In  the  end  he  became 
intimate  with  Ambrose  the  bishop,  set  his  heart  on  the 
ministry,  renounced  rhetorick  for  a  better  trade,  laid 
aside  the  proposed  marriage,  turned  off  his  mistress, 
vowed  he  would  become  a  monk,  and  in  company  with 
his  bastard  son,  then  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  his  friend 
Alypius,  was  baptized  by  immersion  in  the  baptistery 
at  Milan  by  Ambrose,  at  Easter,  in  the  year  three 
hundred  eighty-seven,  and  in  the  thirty-third  year  of  his 
age  (2).     The   Cistercians  at  Milan  have  preserved  the 

(3)  MURATORII  Jnecdota  Tom.  i.  Medial.  169/.  Diss.  xv. 


BRING    IN    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  197 

memory  of  this  by  a  publick  monumeDt  (3).  Soon 
after  he  became  assist  mt  to  Velerius  bishop  ol  Hippo,  in 
his  own  country,  a-ici  lastly  his  successor,  and  continued 
aiiuost  half  a  century  the  light  and  glory  of  Africa. 
How  thick  that  darkness  must  be  v\  litre  such  a  genius 
was  taken  for  bunshine  may  be  easily  guessed. 

[Here  follows  an  account  of  Austin's  labors,  his  persecuting  spirit  and 
measures,  and  his  contentions  with  the  Arians,  Pelagians,  Manicheans, 
and  Donatists  ;  the  last  of  whom  gave  him  the  greatest  trouble.    Ed.'\ 

There  were  two  African  teachers  of  the  name  of  Do- 
natus,  the  one  bishop  of  Carthage,  called  for  his  learning 
and  virtue  Donatus  the  great,  the  other  bishop  of  Casa 
Nigra.  A  violent  dispute  about  the  choice  of  a  teacher, 
like  the  dispute  of  Henry  VIII.  with  the  Pope  about  his 
divorce,  was  the  event  in  the  chain  of  Divine  Providence, 
that  set  these  men  a  thinking  for  themselves.  They 
found,  as  TertuUian  had  formerly,  they  were  somehow 
incorporated  into  a  very  corrupt  community.  They  dis- 
sented, and  in  a  very  few  years  there  were  in  Africa  four 
hundred  congregations,  all  called  Donatists  (4).  They 
did  not  then  differ  from  those  who  called  themselves 
Catholicks  in  doctrine,  but  their  chief  diflerence  lay  in 
their  morals,  which  were  pure  and  exemplary,  and  their 
discipline,  which  was  exact,  for  they  not  only  baptized 
converts  from  Paganism,  but  they  rebaptized  all  on  their 
own  profession  of  faith,  who  came  from  the  pretended 
Catholicks  to  join  their  churches.  They  did  so,  not  for 
a  reason  of  faith,  but  morals,  for  they  thought  immorality 
had  unchurched  the  Catholicks,  and  sunk  them  into  a 
mere  worldly  corporation.  This  dissent  began  forty 
years  before  Austin  was  born.  The  disputes  between 
them  and  the  Catholicks  were  at  their  height  when  Con- 
stantine  came  to  the  throne.  The  Catholicks,  who  had 
no  idea  of  toleration,  except  in  times  of  Paganism  for 
themselves,  tormented  the  Emperor  to  settle  their  differ- 
ences. He  appointed  commissaries  to  hear  both  sides, 
and  he  even  condescended  to  hear  them  himself :  but  it 
was  out  of  his  power  to  reconcile  them,  and  in  the  end 

(3)  Ibid  Pag.  174. 

(4)  Hen.  Norisii  Cardlnalis  opera.  Verona:  1729 Gab.  Albaspinxi  Notx 

in  Optati  opera Fr.  Balduini  Dei-batio  Hint.  Afric.  -  -  -  Collat.   Carthag. 

Papirii  Mussonis  et  P.  Pitlioei  Gesta  Collat.  Carthag.  in  Catholicos  et  Bona*.- 
istat  -  -  -  Valesii  Dissert,  de  Schismate  Donatietarum  in  Hist.  Euseb. 


198  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUGUSTINE    TO 

he  yielded  to  the  wicked  advice  of  his  bishops,  and  de- 
prived the  Donatists  of  their  places  of  worship,  banished 
their  teachers  under  pretence  of  sedition,  and  put  some 
to  death.  There  wat^  a  set  of  fierce  people  in  Africa, 
■called  Circnnncellians,  men  of  no  religion,  and  even  of 
barbarous  dispositions  in  uar,  who  thought  the  Donatists 
injured,  and  v\ho  actually  took  up  arms  in  their  defence, 
and  revenged  the  injustice  of  the  Catholicks.  Kvery 
thing  threatened  a  civil  war,  and  the  Emperor  very  pru- 
dently followed  the  advice  (S  his  governors  in  Africa,  and 
abolished  the  laws  against  the  Donatists,  which  had 
kindled  up  such  a  flame.  Austin,  long  after,  had  the 
arrogance  to  censure  the  Emperor  for  this  sound  policy, 
and  to  blame  this  as  an  ignominious  indulgence  (5). 
Bis  system  of  church  government  is  the  most  gross  and 
unpardonable  insult  on  a  crowned  head  that  can  be  im- 
agined. According  to  that  the  liishop  and  Emperor 
are  priest  and  curate. 

Constans  ajid  Gratian  persecuted  the  Donatists  with 
a  cruelty,  of  which  the  very  Catholicks  complained,  for 
Optatus  an  African  bishop  who  wrote  against  them,  ex- 
poses the  injustice  of  liis  party,  while  he  pretends  to 
make  apologies  for  their  severity.  Julian  restored  the 
Donatists  to  their  rights  :  but  when  Austin  had  been 
some  time  metamorphosed  into  a  bishop,  he  set  about 
the  extirpation  of  them,  and  it  was  not  his  fault  that  there 
was  one  Donatist  left  to  tell  the  barbarous  tale.  Finding 
that  nobody  regarded  his  books,  or  was  deceived  by  his 
frauds  called  conferences,  he  formed  cabals  named  coun- 
cils, procured  penal  edicts  from  the  crown,  and  sewed 
in  a  long  list  of  letters  maxims  of  the  genuine  ancient 
Carthaginian  kind.  His  pagan  ancestors  had  attempted 
to  appease  the  Deity  by  burning  infants ;  he  improved 
their  barbarous  plans,  and  placed  virtue  in  cursing  and 
killing  good  men.  What !  said  he  to  one  who  was 
not  savage  enough  for  him,  what  authority  do  you  want 
for  coercion  :  Scripture?  Here  it  is,  "  The  wicked  kill- 
ed the  prophets  ;  and  the  prophets  killed  the  wicked. 
The  Jews  scourged  Christ;  and  Christ  scourged  the 
Jews.  The  unrighteous  delivered  the  apostles  up  to 
^i\\\  magistrates;    and  the  apostles  delivered   the  un- 

(5)  Excerpts  of  the  Donatists,  pag-.  47.  -  -  Dodwell  -  -  Gilb.  Rule  •  -  John 
Sage,  and  others  on  the  principles  of  the  Cyprianic  age. 


BRING  IN  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.     199 

righteous  over  to  the  devil  (6)."  Ecclesiastical  histori- 
ans ate  pleased  to  say,  St.  Augubtiiie  by  his  learning 
and  eloquence  subdued  the  pestilent  schism  of  the  Dun- 
atists  :  but  Au.^tiii,  who  was  never  backward  to  sound 
his  own  fame,  did  not  pretend  to  thi^  honour.  He  says 
his  city  of  Hippo  had  been  full  of  conventicles  and  schis- 
maticks  till  he  procured  penal  laws  from  the  Emperor, 
and  it  vvah  the  terror  of  them  that  converted  his  flock  (7). 
When  the  Donatibts  reproached  him  with  niaki)ig  mar- 
tyrs of  their  bishops  and  elders,  as  Marculus,  Maximian, 
Isaac,  and  others,  and  told  him  God  would  require  aa 
account  of  their  blood  at  the  day  of  judgment:  he  an- 
swered, "  I,  (know  nothing  about  your  martyrs.  Mar- 
tyrs !  martyrs  to  the  devil !  They  were  not  martyrs ;  it 
is  the  cause,  not  the  suffering  that  makes  a  martyr. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  martyr  out  of  the  church. 
Beside,  it  was  owing  to  their  obstinacy,  they  killed  them- 
selves; and  now  you  blame  the  magistrate  (8)-" 

There  are  two  things  very  remarkable  in  this  affair, 
and  both  as  much  to  the  honour  of  the  Donatists,  as  to 
the  disgrace  of  their  persecutors.  First,  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served, that  there  was  then  no  difference  in  doctrines 
between  the  two  parties  :  and  the  whole  dispute  was  a- 
bout  virtue  (9).  The  Donatists  thought  the  church 
ought  to  be  kept  separate  from  the  world,  a  religious 
society  volimtarily  congregated  together  for  pious  pur- 
poses, and  for  no  other.  With  this  view  they  admitted 
none  w  ithout  a  personal  profession  of  faith  and  holiness, 
and  them  they  baptized,  or,  if  they  had  belonged  to  the 
great  corrupt  party,  rebaptized.  They  urge^  ^or  all 
this  the  New  Testament.  The  Catholicks,  of  whom. 
Austin  was  the  head,  taxed  them  with  denying  in  effect^ 
if  not  in  express  words,  the  Old  Testament,  and  partic- 
ularly such  prophecies  as  spoke  of  the  accession  of 
kings,  and  Gentiles,  and  nations  to  the  church  of  Christ* 
*'  Is  it  not  foretold,  said  Austin,  that  to  mc  every  knee- 

(6)  AujTiist  Epist  xhiii.  Occidenint  impii  prophetas  :  occidenint  impi- 
OS  et  prophetsc.  Flapeliavertmt  Judaei  Christum:  Jiidsos  flagelluvit  et 
Cbristiis.  Traditi  sunt  Apostoli  ab  hMiiinibus  potestati  humanse :  tradide- 
runt  { t    Apostoli  homines  potestati.  Satanae. 

(7)  Epist.  xlviii.  I.  Q,ije  cum  tota  esset  in  parte  Donati,  timore  legum 
imperialium,  conversa  est 

(8)  BuKluinJ  Hist.  Carthag.  Collat.   pag-.  648.     Jactabant  Donatistae  suos 

martyres Sed    Augustinus    graviter    talem   jsctationem    refiiiaverat 

—  -  Extrx  ecclesiara  non  posse  esse  martyrem  -  - .  -  Diabolus  habet  suas 
martyres. 

(9j  Ibid.  625, 


200  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUGUSTINE    TO 

shall  boiu  ?"  The  Catholicks  then  were  for  a  national 
church  for  the  sake  of  splendour  :  the  Donatists  for  a 
Congregational  church  for  the  sake  of  purity  of  faith 
and  manners. 

The  second  observation  is  on  the  means  to  be  used 
to  efiect  the  end.  The  Donatists  thought  reason,  scrip- 
ture, and  example  the  only  proper  means  of  propagating 
Christianity.  "You  come  to  a  conference,  said  Pri- 
mian,  with  bai^s  full  of  imperial  letters,  and  laws,  and 
mandates,  and  rescripts  :  for  our  parts  v\e  have  brought 
nothing  but  the  gospels  of  the  four  exangelists.  V\4iat, 
added  they.  What  business  have  bishops  at  court  ? 
What  have  we  to  do  with  emperors  ?  What  have  mag- 
istrates to  do  with  religion  ?  When  they  concern  them- 
selves with  it  they  always  injure  it.  Their  interference 
includes  persecution,  of  which  you  have  no  examples  in 
the  gospel  or  the  epistles  (i)."  "There  again,  said 
Austin,  the  gospel  and  the  epistles  !  Granted  :  there  is 
no  example  in  the  gospel.  What  then  ?  Doth  not 
David  command  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  serve  Christ  ? 
and  they  do  serve  him  by  suppressing  schism  (^)." 
There  was  a  party  nearer  to  Augustine  than  the  Dona- 
tists, who  were  called  Luciferians  from  Lucifer,  bishop 
of  a  church  at  Cagliaria  in  Sardinia  :  a  man  of  eminent 
piety  and  goodness.  He  and  his  followers  held  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  they  rebaptizcd  nobody,  and 
their  lives  were  exemplary  :  but  they  held  separate  as- 
semblies, and  would  not  hold  communion  with  Austin's 
worldly  church  (3).  They  were  a  sort  of  Trinitarian 
Inde])endents.  The  Donatists  were  Trinitarian  Ana- 
baptists, literally  so,  for  there  was  no  sprinkling  then. 
Austin  held  all  in  like  execration,  for  all  stood  in  the 
way  of  that  hierarchy,  v^  hich  this  Carthaginian  genius 
was  endeavouring  to  set  up.  While  each  bishop  tyran- 
nized over  his  own  congregation,  all  were  easy  :  but 
when  one  in  the  chair  began  to  treat  the  bench  as  the 
bench  had  treated  the  people,  the  bench  rebelled  against 
the  chairman,  and  made  the  people  free  for  the  sake  of 
being  free  themselves.  How  wisely  hath  Providence 
constituted  man  !  Even  his  ills  work  their  cure. 

(1)  August.  Lib.  post.  coUat.  (2)  August.  Epist.  xlviii. 

(3)  Balduin  ul'i  sufi. 


BRING    IN    THE     BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  201 

If  the  name  of  Augustine  had  not  sunk  below  con- 
tempt in  eyery  free  country,  his  conduct  in  procuring 
the  first  law  to  compel  Christians  to  baptize  their  infants 
in  a  council  at  Mela  in  Nuinidia,  in  the  year  four  hun- 
dred and  sixteen,  would  deserve  a  treatise  by  itself, 
Augustine  was  a  crafty  irritated  man,  hemmed  in,  dis- 
appointed, and  foiled  by  able  opponents.  Too  insignifi- 
cant to  obtain  distinction  in  the  state,  he  reconnoitred 
the  church,  and  felt  himself  excellently  qualified  to  cant 
out  of  Solomon's  song  to  unsuspecting  Christians,  es- 
pecially single  sisters  atid  monks.  A  superannuated 
bishop,  to  whom  he  made  himself  convenient,  lifted 
him  into  preferment.  From  that  day  he  became  a  mer- 
ciless tyrant,  and  truckled  to  the  bishop  of  Rome  only 
for  the  sake  of  pla}ing  Jupiter  in  Africa.  When  he 
obtained  the  support  of  the  Emperor,  and  got  his 
dreams  tacked  to  imperial  decrees,  he  became  the 
scourge  of  all  good  men  within  his  reach,  whose  coiifis- 
cations,  and  banishments,  and  death,  with  the  ruin  of 
their  families,  lay  at  his  door.  He  considered  himself 
as  an  oracle  of  God,  and  Emperors  only  as  ofiiters, 
whom  Heaven  had  appointed  to  execute  his  decrees. 
How  these  decrees  were  obtained,  this  council  at  Mela 
fully  discovers  (4).  First,  under  pretence  of  suppress- 
ing the  heresy  of  Pelagius,  which  had  been  approved 
by  a  council  at  Diospolis,  more  than  sixty  bishops,  all 
of  one  party,  met  at  Carthage.  Thence,  it  should  seem, 
they  adjourned  to  Mela,  and  because  they  should  not  all 
be  detained  from  home  too  long,  three  deputies  for  e.ich 
province  were  appointed  to  represent  the  rest,  and  sub- 
scribe for  the  whole.  There  remained  then  only  about 
fourteen  or  fifteen.  This  deputation  at  length  issued 
out  seven  and  twenty  new  commandments,  eight  of 
which  were  directed  against  Pelagianism,  and  run  in 
this  style. 

It  is  the  pleasure  of  all  the  bishops  present  in  this  ho- 
ly synod 'to  order,  i.  That  whoever  saitli,  Adam  was 
created  mortal,  and  would  have  died,  if  he  had  not  sin- 
ned :    be  accursed. 

(4)  Concil,  Cartliag  ii.-.- -Concil.  Milevitan.     Placiut  ergo  omnibus 
episcopis,  qiii  fuerunt  hsec  sancta  synotlo,  constituere,  &c. 

26 


202  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUGUSTINE    TO 

ii.  Also  it  is  the  pleasure  of  the  bishops  to  order  that 
whoever  denieth  tliat  infants  newly  born  of  their  moth- 
ers are  to  be  baptized,  or  saith  that  baptism  is  adminis- 
tered for  the  remission  of  their  own  sins,  but  not  on  ac- 
count of  original  sin  derived  from  Adam,  and  to  be  ex- 
piated by  the  laver  of  regeneration  :  be  accursed. 

An  honest  indignation  rises  at  the  sound  of  such 
tyranny  ;  and  if  a  man  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of 
choosing  one  saint  of  two  candidates,  it  would  not  be 
Austin,  it  would  be  Saint  Balaam,  the  son  of  Bosor, 
who  indeed  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,  as  many 
other  saints  have  done,  but  who  with  all  his  madness 
had  respect  enough  for  the  Deity  to  say,  Ho-:o  shall  I 
curse  vdkom  God  hath  not  cursed  /  To  curse  citizens 
for  sayings  :  to  curse  Christians  for  not  saying  more  of 
a  subject  than  the  scripture  says  :  to  be  cursed  by  the 
very  men,  who  are  kept  only  for  the  sake  of  blessing 
mankind  with  good  examples  of  virtue  :  fifteen  African 
slaves  to  mount  themselves  on  a  tribunal,  and  denounce 
curses  on  the  whole  world  !  Who  can  help  being  of- 
fended at  the  sight  ?  Who  can  be  grieved  to  see  the 
Vandals  come  forward,  and  subvert  all  the  kibours  of 
Austin's  life  ? 

There  is  one  article  relative  to  infant  baptism,  which 
it  may  not  be  improper  to  observe.  Austin  and  his 
company  were  the  first,  who  ventured  to  attack  at  law 
believers-baptism.  They  went  therefore  on  the  forlorn 
hope,  and  a  plain  tale  puts  them  down.  They  did  not 
pretend  to  ground  infant  baptism  on  scripture,  but  tra- 
dition ;  and  as  they  could  not  possibly  cite  a  law,  human 
or  divine,  they  ventured  to  place  it  on  universal  custom. 
Had  custom  been  for  it,  and  reason  against  it,  reason 
should  have  taken  place  of  custom  :  but  with  what  pos- 
sible decency  could  Austin  dare  to  affirm  this  ?  Some, 
who  have  no  very  favourable  opinion  of  either  the  sin- 
cerity or  modesty  of  the  man,  are  so  shocked  at  this 
affirmation,  that  they  suspect  his  works  have  been  inter- 
polated, and  think  he  could  not  say  so.  Yes,  he  is  al- 
lowed by  those,  who  have  most  studied  his  books,  to 
have  constantly  affirmed  this  (5).  Was  he  himself  then 
baptized  in  his  infancy  ?    Was  Ambrose,  who  baptized 

(5)  Petavii  Opera.  Tom.  iii.  Aniuerput.  1700.  Be  Eccl.  Hierarch.  Lib.  i. 
Cap.  i.  6.      August.  Op.  Be  peccator.  merit.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  xxiv. 


BRING    IN    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  205 

Ilim,  baptized  in  infancy  ?  Was  his  own  natural  son 
baptized  when  he  was  an  infant  ?  Was  his  father  Pat- 
ricius  baptized  when  an  infant  ?  Had  he,  who  pretend- 
ed he  had  been  a  Manichean,  never  heard  that  they  did 
not  baptize  infants  ?  Had  all  other  hereticks  escaped 
his  notice  ?  Had  he  forgot  himself,  when  he  taxed  the 
Pelagians  with  denying-  infant  baptism  ?  and  when  he 
complained  in  another  book  of  people  who  opposed  it 
(6)  ?  If  it  were  an  established  universal  custom,  for 
whose  use  was  the  law  made  to  compel  it  ?  A  thousand 
more  such  questions  might  be  put,  all  serving  to  con- 
tradict this  falsehood.  Jerom  knew  better,  and  express- 
ly mentioned  it  in  a  curious  letter  to  a  Christian  lady  for 
the  purpose  of  decoying  her  daughter,  Paula,  into  a 
convent,  it  should  seem,  to  be  instructed  by  her  grand- 
mother and  baptized  (7).  Some  parents  consider  the 
holy  man  as  a  mere  kidnapper.  For  his  part  he  consid- 
ered nothing  but  eloquence.  "Had  Jove  such  a  grand- 
mother as  Miss  Paula  has,  even  Jove  would  become  a 
believer  in  Christ !"  Yes,  Austin  knew  ;  some  Christians 
told  him :  The  ground  on  which  you  place  baptism  is 
not  able  to  bear  the  baptism  of  babes.  It  sets  aside  the 
necessity  of  baptism  itself  to  the  children  of  all  Christians. 
You  say,  infants  must  be  baptized  because  they  are  sin- 
ners. We  ask,  when  they  sinned  ?  You  say,  never  in 
their  own  persons,  but  they  were  in  the  loins  of  Adam 
when  he  sinned.  And  pray,  were  they  not  in  the  loins 
"of  their  immediate  parents,  when  they  were  baptized  ? 
How  came  they  to  derive  guilt  from  a  remote  ancestor, 
and  not  grace  from  an  immediate  parent,  whose  ^insboih 
original  and  actual,  you  say  were  all  washed  away  in  his 
baptism  (8)  ?  Austin  knew  all  this  ;  but,  as  Adam  was 
the  very  foundation  of  his  system,  and  he  could  not  pos- 
sibly preach  once  without  him,  he  was  forced  to  write 
a  book  to  answer  these  objections  against  both  the  prac- 
tice of  baptizing  infants,  and  the  reason  on  w^hich  his 
canon  was  founded.  How  was  it  possible  this  man 
could  call  infant  baptism  an  apostolical  custom  ? 

(6)  Ibid.  Lib,  ii  Cap.  xxv Be  libera  arbitrio.  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  23, 

(7)  IWeron.  Epist  ad  Lxtam. 

.(8)  Aiignst  De  peccator.  marit.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xxv.  Aclversus  cos,  qui 
dicunt,  si  peccn.tor  genuit  peccatorem,  Justus  quoque  justum  gignere  de- 
buit  -  .  -  Cur  cnim  non,  inquiunt,  in  Jumbis  patris  sui  poluitbaptizari '  S:c.  -  - 
xxvii. 


204  OF    THE    EFFORTS    OF    AUGUSTINE    TO 

After  a)!,  there  is  one  v^ay,  and  but  one  occurs  at 
present,  of  accounting  for  Austin's  calling  the  baptism 
of  children  a  custom,  which  he  supposed  was  derived 
from  apostolical  tradition.  He  found  the  custom,  he 
could  not  find  it  in  scripture,  he  would  not  tax  his  pre- 
decessors with  innovating,  he  therefore  supposed  it 
might  be  derived  from  the  apostles.  If  the  coi  jecture 
above  mentioned  on  the  rise  of  infant  baptism,  be  just, 
the  case  was  this.  Near  an  hundred  and  fifty  years  be- 
fore Austii^  was  born,  some  zealous  women  hurried  for- 
ward the  baptism  of  children.  Forty  years  after,  Fidus, 
a  country  bishop  full  of  Judaism,  applied  the  doctrine 
of  circumcision  to  the  case,  and  baptized  at  eight  days 
to  save  infants  from  being  burnt,  by  getting  them  ded- 
icated to  the  true  God.  Cyprian  thought,  if  baptism 
were  necessary  at  eight  days,  it  was  so  as  soon  as  infants 
"Were  born.  It  doth  not  appear,  that  any  one  of  these 
practices  was  of  any  duration  or  extent  ;  and  it  is  to  be 
remembered  that  persecution  often  dissolved  the  first 
churches,  and  scattered  the  people,  so  that  their  customs 
disappeared  with  the  authors  of  them,  and  every  new 
company  made  new  regulations.  One  thing,  however, 
remained  when  Austin  began  to  know  the  church  at 
Carthage  ;  that  was,  the  old  name  of  baptism.  He  says, 
the  Carthaginian  Christians  called  baptism  salus,  by 
which,  probably,  the  first  baptizers  of  children  meant  no 
more  than  safety  (9).  Austin  being  a  spiritual  minded 
man,  thought  they  meant  sahation  ;  not  recollecting  that 
the  natives  had  taken  the  word  from  the  Romans,  who 
never  had  any  idea  of  salvation  in  his  sense  of  it,  but  who 
all  knew,  even  the  meanest  soldier,  what  votive  offerings 
pro  salute  meant.  Not  being  aware  of  the  first  reason 
of  baptizing  pro  salute,  and  the  vague  meaning  of  the 
word  escaping  his  notice,  he  said  the  baptism  of  infants 
was  a  custom.  So  far  he  might  be  right  in  some  sense, 
as  it  regarded  the  back-setders  :  but  when  he  affirmed 
it  was  derived  from  the  apostles,  he  was  wrong,  for  it 
was  not  a  custom  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Wheth- 
er Austin  deserves  any  apology  for  the  error  may  be  a 
question  to  such  as  know  the  man.  Some  of  his  con- 
temporaries did  not  believe  him,  assert  vvhat  he  would, 
without  great  caution.  "He  said,  he  had  been  a  Mani- 
chean.       No,  said  some  Manicheans,  you  never  was. 

(9)  See  above  note,  Punici,  &c. 


BRING    IN    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  205 

He  said,  his  conversion  was  of  God.  No,  replied  the 
Manicheans  :  it  was  of  fear  of  persecution,  and  covet- 
ousness,  of  honour  and  power.  Lay  aside,  said  they, 
your  punick  feith  :  cease  to  utter  falsehoods  :  how  can 
a  Carthaginian  be  saved  ?  Can  he  make  the  gospel  say, 
broad  is  the  way  that  leadcth  to  life  (1)  V 

It  must  not  be  omitted,  that  this  first  law  for  the  bap- 
tism of  babes  was  so  little  known,  and  of  so  little  ac- 
count, that  for  ages  it  fell  into  oblivion,  and  learned  an- 
tiquaries  among  the  Catholicks  are  not  able  to  satisfy  one 
another  about  the  meaning  of  the  words  Concilium  Milei)- 
itanum.  They  agree  that  some  bishops,  somewhere, 
in  the  time  of  some  pope,  met  and  made  canons,  or, 
in  ecclesiastical-  style,  held  a  coimcil,  and  constituted 
themselves  a  legislative  body  for  the  whole  Christian 
world  :  but  when  the  question  is  put,  who  were  they 
that  presumed  to  do  so?  One  side  answers:  "The 
bishops  of  Africa,  for  Milevitamim  means  Mela,^''  An 
opposite  class  replies:  "No  such  thing ;  Milemtanum 
concilium  signifies  a-  council  held  in  the  isle  of  Mal- 
ta (i^)-"  Men  of  great  literary  consideration  arrange 
themselves  with  both  parties,  and  each  produces  reasons 
and  etymologies,  and  so  on.  A  protestant,  like  the 
spectator,  when  Sir  Roger  de  Coverly  insisted  on  his  o- 
pinion  whether  the  daubing  on  the  sign-post  were  a  por- 
trait of  his  worship  or  of  a  Saracen,  "  composes  his  coun- 
tenance  in  the  best  manner  he  can,  and  replies,  that  much 
may  be  said  on  both  sides  (3)." 

Whether  this  council  be  a  forgery  or  not,  it  is  dated 
in  die  council  books  four  hundred  sixteen,  ai;id  in  four 
hundred  twenty-nine,  the  Vandals  subverted  the  Catlio- 
lick  dominion  in  Africa,  for  this  church  was  built  upon 
the  sand,  and  when  the  Vandals  entered  the  country,  the 
priests,  who  shuddered  at  the  name  of  an  Arian  army, 
ran  away,  and  in  less  than  one  year  of  all  this  national 
church,  or,  as  their  historians  speak,  of  all  the  innumer- 
able churches  of  Catholicks,  only  three  remained  in  all 
Africa  (4). 

This  law  of  Austin  therefore  could  have  no  force  long- 
er than  the  space  of  thirteen  years  even  in  Africa,  and 
that  only  with  the  Catholicks  ;  and  it  is  very  questionable 

(1)  Secimdini  Manicheel  Epist.  ad  Aug. 

(2)  Laiir.  Surii  Concil.  M'lev.  Tom,  i. 

(3)  N.  122.  (4)  Johan.  De  Ragusio  Oral,  hab,  in  Concil.  Comtav. 


206  THE     llEDUCTION     OF 

whether  any  regard  was  paid  to  it  in  that  time  except 
in  cases  of  danger  of  death  ;  for  when  the  bishops  and 
saints  decamped,  and  the  people  came  dow  n  to  see  the 
parade  of  their  martyrs  going  on  board  a  ship,  it  is  said, 
*'  Some  brought  wax  tupers  to  grace  the  procession, 
others  threw  their  infants  on  the  gronnd  to  be  sanctified 
by  their  blessed  steps,  the  company  set  up  a  waihng, 
some  cried,  to  whom  do  you  commit  the  care  of  us, 
now  you  are  going  away  to  receive  your  crowns?  Who 
Tvill  baptize  these  infants  at  Easter  when  you  are  gone  ? 
Who  will  hear  confessions?  Who  will  appoint  pen- 
ance ?  O  miserable  people  that  we  are,  who  but  you 
can  give  us  absolution?  You  have  power  to  bind  and 
loose,  and  whatsoever  you  bind  or  loose  on  earth,  is 
loosed  or  bound  in  heaven!" 

It  should  seem  by  this  that  the  Easter  baptism  of 
boys  continued  to  be  practised  after  the  promulgation  of 
Augustine's  canon ;  and  certain  it  is,  it  was  practised  in 
other  countries  by  the  Catholicks  many  centuries  after 
this  time  :  but  it  is  very  probable  some  vagabond  Afri- 
can monks  passed  over  into  Spain,  and  the  reader  will 
hear  of  them  in  the  next  chapter  but  one. 


CHAP.  XXIV. 

THE     REDUCTION     OF     BAPTISM     IN     THE    EAST,     FROM    MEN    TO 
MINORS,     AND    FROM    MINORS    TO    BABES. 

IT  is  a  cruel  violence  that  system  hath  offered  to 
truth.  True  history  shews  that  in  things  non-essential 
there  hath  always  been  variety  of  sentiment  and  diversi- 
ty of  practice  among  Christians  ;  but  the  papal  system 
having  asserted  the  supremacy  of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  it 
hath  been  thought  necessary  to  represent  all  Christians 
as  one  corporation,  under  one  universal  bishop,  and  his 
code  of  law  as  the  practice  of  the  whole  world.  This  is 
not  true,  for  many  centuries  there  was  no  such  being 
upon  earth  as  an  universal  bishop,  no  such  thing  as 
universal  law,  and  no  mention  of  uniformity  of  faith  and 
manners.  If  a  man  would  form,  for  instance,  a  just 
notion  only  of  baptism,  he  must  not  regison  from  the 
laws  of  one  country  to  the  practice  of  another,  but  he 
must  take  each  apart,  as  will  appear  clearly  by  examin- 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  207 

insj  baptism  in  four  points  of  view.  Neu-T'e^tament 
baptism  is  the  baptism  of  men  and  women Egyp- 
tian-baptism is  paido-baptism,  or  the  baptism  of  minors 

Jerusalem-baptism  is  the  baptism  of  Catechumens 

and  late  Greek  baptism  is  the    baptism  of  little 


New-Testament-Baptism,  or   the   Baptism  of 

Men  and    Women. 

The  baptism  of  the  New  Testament  as  the  principal 
object  of  attention  to  a  consistent  Christian  :  it  is  even 
the  sole  standard  of  his  practice.  There  the  ordinance 
appears  along  with  the  persons  of  men  and  women. 
One  verse  of  the  history  of  the  church  of  Samaria, 
which  was  congregated  by  Philip  the  deacon,  is  full  and 
express,  and  may  serve  for  the  whole.  "When  the  Sa- 
maritans believed  Philip,  preaching  the  things  concern- 
ing the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
they  were  baptized,  hotli  men  and  ivomcn  {V).'''*  This 
was  exactly  conformable  to  the  command,  and  the  ex- 
ample of  Jesus,  whose  disciples  they  were  :  to  his  com- 
mand, teach  all  nations  baptizing  them  (2)  :  and  to  his 
example,  for  he  was  at  man's  estate  when  he  went  to 
be  baptized,  being  about  thirty  years  of  age  (3).  This 
is  a  plain  path,  free  from  every  difficulty. 

Egyptian-Baptism,   or  the  Baptism  of  Minors. 

Origen  was  a  native  of  Alexandria.  He  flourished 
in  the  third  century.  He  was  a  man  of  sober  morals : 
but  he  was  an  eccentrical  genius,  and  his  theological 
speculations  were  the  most  wild  and  extravagant  in  the 
world.  Two  sorts  of  his  works  remain;  the  one  gen- 
uine Greek  fraimients :  the  other  pretended  Latin  ver- 
sions of  the  remainder  of  his  Greek  originals,  which 
are  lost.  The  genuine  Greek  works  contain  nothing 
in  favour  ol  ii^fant  baptism,  but  on  the  contrary,  bap- 
tism is  always  spoken  of  in  relation  to  the  adult  (1). 
The  snmious  Latin  pieces  do  speak  in  favour  of  iniant 
baptism,  but  thty  scent  strongly  of  forgery,  and  seem 
to  have  been  written  after  the  Pelagian  controvers)  (ii). 

(1)   Acts  viii.   12.        (2)  Mat.    xxviii.  19.        (3)  Luke  iii.  2l,  23. 

(1)  Dr    G.ile's  reflections  on  Mr.  Wall's  hist,  of  infant  baptism.  Let  xiii, 

(2)  Tombes  Kxamen. 


208  THE     REDUCTION-     01 

Perhaps  the  vague  sense  of  the  word  may  have  been 
the  innocent,  or  it  may  be  the  guilty,  cause  of  these  ap- 
parent contradictions.  Even  Dr.  Wall  exposes  the 
partiality  of  Sir  Peter  King  for  quoting  a  mutilated  pas- 
sage from  the  genuine  works  of  Origen  in  favour  of 
the  baptism  of  babes,  and  proves  by  quoting  the  whole 
passage,  that  Origen  spoke  of  such  babes  as  the  apostle 
Peter  had  addressed  in  his  first  epistle,  new-born  babes, 
laying  aside  all  eml  speakings,  and  desiring  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  word  that  they  may  grow  thereby  [2>).  In- 
deed it  is  impossible  to  quote  any  thing  conclusive  in 
favour  of  modern  infant  baptism  from  Origen,  because 
as  he  held  the  pre-existence  of  human  souls,  so  he  af- 
firmed,  that  "  some  souls  before  they  were  born  into 
the  world,  and  before  they  were  united  to  the  body, 
had  heard,  and  had  been  taught  of  the  Father  {^).'''' 

Is  there  then  no  foundation  for  the  common  tradition 
of  the  fathers,  that  Origen  favoured  infant  baj)tism  ?  It 
must  be  granted  the  fathers  are  miserable  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  facts,  as  well  as  incompetent  judges  of 
right  :  but  it  doth  not  follow  that  they  never  speak  truth. 
Eusebius,  who  was  a  professed  admirer  of  Origen,  gar- 
nished his  history  with  many  incredible  tales  :  but  he 
related  some  facts  very  likely  to  be  true.  He  says, 
Origen  was  Catechist  of  the  ecclesiastical  school  at  Al- 
exandria :  this  is  a  true  fact.  Six  of  his  disciples,  male 
and  female,  suffered  death  in  time  of  persecution  :  this 
is  possible.  When  the  school  was  broke  up,  some 
were  catechumens,  and  others  liad  been  lately  baptiz- 
ed :  this  is  very  likely  to  be  true  :  he  adds,  Ori- 
gen accompanied  his  pupils  to  the  place  of  execution  : 
this  is  very  doubtful  (5).  He  subjoins,  that  Po- 
tamiasna  promised  one  Basilides,  a  Pagan  officer  of  the 
guards,  that  she  would  pray  for  him  after  her  martyr- 
dom :  this  is  extremely  suspicious.  He  proceeds  to 
relate,  that  the  said  virgin  martyr  three  days  after  her 
death  did  appear  to  Basilides,  did  inform  him  that 
her  intercession  had  prevailed,  did  put  a  coronet  on  his 
head,  as  a  token  that  he  should  soon  obtain  the  crown 
of  martyrdom  ;  that  Basilides  was  converted  by  these 

(3)  Dr  Wairs   Hist,   of  infant  baptism.  Vslv\..  i.  Chap.-v.  S.  9.  •- -Ga^C- 
Let.  xiii 1.  Pet.  il.  1,  2,  &c. 

(4)  Orlg.  Com.  in  yohan.- -Gale.  Let.  vii.  John  vi.  45. 

(5)  Hist.  £ccies.  Lib.  vi.  Cap.  ii.  iii.iv. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  209 

iiieans,  was  commitied  to  prison  for  his  faith,  was  bap- 
tized by  the  brethren  in  prison,  and  was  soon  after 
beheaded ;  here  blusebius  becomes  a  narrator  of  old 
wives  fobles.  The  Uttle  credit  due  to  his  history  is 
due  only  to  such  parts  as  are  attested  by  others  more 
credible  than   himself. 

One  of  the  Catechists  of  this  celebrated  seminary,  the  first 
Christian  academy  in  the  world,  published  a  work  entitled 
The  Pedagogue  (6).  This  was  Clement  the  master 
of  Origen.  Two  sorts  of  masters  presided  over  the  ed- 
ucation of  young  gentlemen  (7).  Pedotribes  formed 
the  body  :  Pedagogues  the  mind.  PubUus  JEi'ms 
Tertius  was  one  of  the  first  kind  :  Clement  and  Origen 
were  of  the  last.  The  Pedagogue  of  Clement  is  ac- 
counted a  valuable  monument  of  Christian  antiquity, 
Mr.  Du  Pin,  who  most  highly  applauded  it,  and  who 
recommended  a  French  translation  of  it,  advised  how- 
ever, that  a  translator  should  retrench  some  parts  of  it, 
because  they  were  not  fit  for  every  body  to  read,  and 
that  the  remaining  parts  should  be  accommodated  to 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  present  age  (8)  :  a 
very  prudent  method  of  translating,  and  that  exactly 
which  Ruffinus  used  when  he  translated  Origen. 

Pedagogy,  the  subject  of  the  book,  is  not  the  discipline 
of  Christian  youth,  or  what  would  now  be  called  a 
course  of  acadenjical  education  :  but  it  is  the  moral 
discipline  of  Christians,  men  and  women,  the  learned 
and  the  ignorant  (9).  Clement  observes,  this  was  not 
called  Pedagogy,  or  a  diacipliie  for  children,  because 
Christianity  was  a  puerile  science  :  on  the  contrary, 
it  was  a  science  of  the  most  exalted  w  isdom  ( i).  it  may 
be  objected,  you  speak  of  a  Pedagogue,  vou  call  your 
science  Pedagogy,  or  the  educating  of  children  :  who 
are  the  children  under  your  tuition?  in  order  to  explain 
this  point,  the  author  lays  down  this  position',  that  all 
the  disciples  of  the  truth  are  children  in  regard  to 
God.     The  whole  fifth   chapter  oi  the  first  book  is  irv- 

(6)  Clementis  Akxandr.  Uxi^aytnyos 

(7)  See  the  chap   on  Infant  baptism. 

(8)  Btbliot  Des  Auteurs  Ecdes   Tom.  i.  S.  Clement  B^Alex. 

(9)  Lib.  i.  Cap.  v.  n  TTtn'^d'yiiyici  ■ffet4^»ii  tctv  »y»iyrj  -  •  -^«  fre^hs  H(>tif9 
Cap.  vit. 

(1)  Cap.  vi. 

27 


210  THE     REDUCTION    OF 

tended  to  explain  and   elucidate  this  article  (2).     Let 
us  consider,  says  he,  whom  the  scripture  calls  children. 
The  scripture  uses  many  allegorical  modes  of  speaking, 
diversifying  itself  to  inform  us.      Then  he  quotes  many 
f)assages,  in  which  men  as  well  as  little  ones  are  called 
children.     Jesus  said  unto  his  disciples,  Children,  have 
ye  any  meat  (3).     The  priests  saw  the  children  crying, 
Hosanna,  and  they  said,  hearest  thou  what  these  say  ? 
And  Jesus  said  unto  them.  Yea,  ha^ae ye  never  read,  out 
of  the  mouth   of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise  (4)  ?  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  Little  children, 
yet  a  little  ivhile  I  am  ivithyou(5).     This  generation  is 
/ike  unto  c/ii/dren   sitting  in   the   markets.     Wisdom  is 
justified  of  her  children  (6).     By  many  similar  passages, 
taken  out  of  the  Old  Testament,  he  proves  that  this  is  a 
common  mode  of  speaking  in  scripture  (7).     From  both 
Testaments  he  collects  diminutive  terms,   literal,  as  in- 
fant, babe,   suckling ;  and  figurative,  as  chicken,  lamb, 
and   so  on,    to  set  forth  what  he  aims  chiefly  to  estab- 
lish, the  simplicity  of  christians,  and  their  littleness  in 
their  own  eyes  (8).     For  this  purpose  he  enlarges  on  the 
lessons  which  the  heavenly   Pedagogue  gave  his  litdc 
children,   when  they  brought  other  little  children  unto 
him,  and   when  he  set  one  in  the  midst  of  them,  and 
said  ;  Except  ye  be  converted  and  become  as  little  child- 
ren, ye   shall  not  enter  into  the^  kingdom  of  heaven. 
Whosoever  shall  humble  himself  as  this  little  child,  the 
same  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.      Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.     All  Christians  therefore 
are  little  children,   simple,  sincere,  modest,  ingenuous, 
and  free  from  fraud,  and  a  Pedagogue  is  a  teacher  of 
such  babes.     The  Pedagogue  of  these  babes  is  Jesus 
Christ.     The  Pedagogue  of  Clement,  stripped  of  allego- 
ry and  pedantry,  is  really  a  fine  compound  of  simple  and 
sublime  sentiments.     Reduced  to  literal  description,  this 
is  the  chain  of  thought :  God  is  infinitely  wise  :  Jesus 
the   messenger  of  God  to  men  was  perfectly  qualified 

(2)  Ol;  !r«v7£5  e<  9r£p«  t>)»  a.'hSutt.t  Kxldymofiiyot,  Txt'^i?  vctfu,  rta  ^ta. 

(3)  John  xxi.  5.  (4)  Mat.  xxi.  15,  Sic.  (5)  John  xiii.  33. 

(6)  Mat.  xi.  16.  -  -  19. 

(7)  Psalm  viii.  2,  -  -  Isaiah  viii.  18.  -  -  -  Heb.  ii.  13.  -  -  &c. 

(8)  Mat.  xxili.  37.  How  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  to- 
P^ether,  even  as  a  hen  g'athereth  her  chickens  under  her  win,^s  !  -  -  Isai.  xl. 
11.  He  shall  gather  the  inmie  with  his  arm  -  -  John  i.  36.  Behold  the 
Lamt  of  God. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  211 

to  instruct  mankind  by  his  doctrine  and  example  :  man- 
kind have  no  knowledge  of  God  and  no  virtue  without 
revelation,  yet  they  are  vain  of  pretended  knowledge, 
and  some  glory  in  crimes,  while  others  boast  of  false 
virtues  :  God  their  merciful  Father  by  the  ministry  of 
Christ  informs  them  of  their  folly  and  vice,  and  requires 
them  to  lay  both  aside,  and  to  become  as  it  were  little 
children  :  all  Christians  do  so :  they  give  themselves  up 
to  the  tuition  of  the  wise  and  holy  Jesus,  in  malice  they 
are  children  ;  in  understanding,  men  ;  wise  to  that  which 
is  good,  and  simple  concerning  evil :  thus  the  things, 
which  in  former  ages  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  had 
hid  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  he  hath  by  Jesus  reiiealed 
unto  babes  (9)  Thus  God  is  the  fountain  of  all  wisdom 
and  goodness  :  Jesus  his  imag;e  is  n««5«y6;y«s  the  Peda- 
gogue :  all  Christians  are  ^«"^6f  children  under  tu- 
ition ( I ).  What  now  is  Alexandrian  paido-baptism  ? 
The  apostles  were  babes ;  the  old  preceptors  of  the 
school  are  babes,  all  Christians  are  now  and  ever  will 
be  babes,  and  to  grow  old  in  religion  is  to  go  from 
childhood  to  infancy.  When  at  the  Reformation,  some 
Baptists  affirmed  that  baptism  was  to  be  offered  to  all 
men,  but  not  given  to  all  men(an  expression  sufficiently 
obscure,  but  perhaps  taken  from  some  such  allegorical 
mixtures  as  those  of  Clement)  a  zealous  physician,  who 
wrote  against  them,  was  extremely  offended,  and  express- 
ed his  resentment  in  these  words :  "Ye  captaynes  of 
catabaptistrye  offer  baptyme  unto  all  chyldren,  and  intend 
not  to  gyue  it  unto  them,  therefore  ye  mocke  all  chyl- 
derne,  lyke  as  boyes  mocke  yong  byrdes  (2)." 

Clement  makes  a  very  just  distinction  on  this  subject, 
by  observing,  that  although  all  Christians  were  infants, 
yet  infancy  in  Christ  ought  to  be  considered  compara- 
tively :  infancy  in  Christianity  was  manhood,  in  com- 
parison with  the  puerile  science  of  Judaism  :  a  child  in 
Christ  was  a  perfect  man  compared  with  a  Pagan :  yet 
the  same  accomplished  man  was  a  babe  compared  with 
an  apostle,  as  the  most  enlightened  apostle  was  when 

(9)  1  Cor.  xiv.  20 Horn.  xvi.  19. Mat.  xi.  25. 

(1)  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xi. 

(2)  A  preservathe,  or  triacle,  agnynst  the  poyson  of  Pelagius,  latefy  renucd, 
and  styrrcd  up  agayn,  by  the  furious  sectc  of  the  Annabaptistes  .•  deuyscd  by 
Willyam  Turner,  Doctor  of  Physick Imprinted  at  London  for  Andrew- 
Hester,  dvuellyng  in  Powles  Churckyarde,  at  the  wytt  horse,  next  to  Powlcs 
ccole.  An.  1551 .  the  thi^rty  of  yanuarii.    Cum  privile^io  ad imprimendum  solum. 


212  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

compared  with  Jesus  (3).  He  exemplifies  this  by  the 
case  of  those  Corinthians,  whom  Paul  called  cur nal  Chris- 
tian babes,  and  to  whom  he  said,  1  have  fed  you  with 
milk,  and  not  with  meat,  for  ve  were  not  able  to  bear  it. 
These  babes  in  Christ,  adds  he,  were  Catechumens, 
they  were  wise  men  compared  m  ith  Paiians,  but  they 
were  carnal  in  comparison  with  some  other  Christians, 
whom  Paul  called  spiritual  (4).  Of  buch  babes  did  the 
school  at  Alexandria  consist  :  mt  babes  in  age,  but 
babes  in  Christ :  arrived  at  a  manhood  of  understanding 
compared  with  Pagans:  but  inferior  to  their  tutors. 
The  school  was  a  station  between  the  world  and  the 
church,  and  no  modern  English  term  so  well  expresses 
the  preci  e  condition  of  the  Alexandrian  Catechumens 
as  that  of  pedants,  or  academical  pupils.  Such  were 
the  HAiAES,  who  were  admitted  to  baptism  at  Alexandria. 
The  coiidiiion  of  this  church  compared  with  the  doc- 
trine of  it  renders  it  highly  probable,  that  paido-baptism 
in  the  true  literal  sense  of  the  word,  that  is,  the  baptism 
of  youth,  during  their  education,  and  in  consequence  of 
their  education,  was  first  practised  in  this  church. 
Origen,  himself,  who  assisted  Clement,  was  only  eigh- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  was  made -one  of  the  Cate- 
chists.  That  pupils  were  not  baptized  at  tht-ir  first  ad- 
mission into  the  school  is  clear  by  the  case  of  the  six 
martyrs  just  now  mentioned,  two  ot  whom,  at  least,  died 
unbaptized.  It  hath  been  argued  from  the  case  of  the 
apostle  John  that  juvenile  baptism  was  scriptural,  for,  say 
they,  John  became  a  disciple  of  Christ  while  he  was 
under  age,  and  while,  had  he  been  the  son  of  a  man  of 
fortune,  he  would  have  been  in  the  hands  of  Peda- 
gogues and  Pedotribes.  This  is  a  mistake ;  for  if,  as 
the  best  chronologers  say,  John  died  in  the  second  year 
of  Trajan  at  ninety-two  years  of  age,  he  was  only  seven 
years  younger  than  Jesus,  and  of  course  he  was  about 
twenty-three  when  Christ  entered  on  his  publick  ministry. 
It  is  an  ancient  artifice  to  protract  the  lives  of  the 
apostles  and  apostolical  men,  and  to  antedate  the  births 
of  the  fathers  for  the  purpose  of  charging  the  first  with 
the   doctrines   of  the  last.     Thus  they  bring  together 

(3)  Lib.  i.    Cap.  vl. 

(4)  Ktftl«%>jir«  v(ixi,  Cataechizavi  vos,  hoc  est,  per  auditum  i  Christo 
institui,  simpliciet  perse  naturali  alimento  spiritali,  &c.  1  Cor.  ili  1,2, 
&c. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  213 

Jesus  and  , Ignatius,  Polycarp  and  John.  Irenseus  to 
give  himself"  consequence  pretended  to  have  been  a  dis- 
ciple of  Polycarp,  who  pretended  to  have  been  a  disciple 
of  John,  and  he  quotes  his  master  to  prove  that  Jesus  Uved 
to  be  fifty  years  of  age. 

There  was  a  great  difference  between  the  condition  of 
John  and  that  of  Alexandrian  pupils  ;  and  the  preceptors 
introduced  a  great  change  in  baptism  by  their  conduct. 
The  school  was  set  up  for  the  tuition  of  such  babes  as 
Clement  describes  in  his  Pedagogue:  but  it  degener- 
ated into  a  literary  seminary  for  youth.  Here  baptism 
was  first  associated  with  a  learned  education,  and  made 
a  part  of  it.  Here  youth  were  first  incorporated  and 
became  church  members  by  baptism  :  before,  baptism 
had  only  signified  a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion 
at  large.  Here  human  creeds  were  first  connected  with 
baptism,  for  the  discussion  of  them  became  a  chief  part 
of  the  course  of  instruction  ;  and  exactly  the  same  effects 
were  produced  by  constituting  a  church  of  young  ped- 
ants as  would  be  produced  in  any  age,  and  in  any  coun- 
try  by  the  same  circumstances.  Human  literature  be- 
came an  ecclesiastical  qualification,  the  pedants  were 
put  into  office,  and  introduced  each  his  academical 
thesis  into  theology,  and  to  determine  which  was  the 
true  opinion  became  the  test  of  a  Christian.  Three 
hundred  years  before  Christ,  the  theological  system  of 
Plato  had  been  taught  in  another  celebrated  school  of 
Alexandria.  The  Ptolomies  had  settled  a  great  number 
of  Jews  there.  The  most  were  merchants,  but  some 
were  philosophers,  and  the  apocryphal  book  called  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon  was  written  by  them  one  hundred 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ  (5).  In  this  curious 
remnant  of  antiquity,  which  Clement,  Origen,  Cyprian, 
and  others,  took  for  a  genuine  book  of  King  Solomon, 
the  religion  of  Moses  and  the  speculations  of  Plato  are 
evidently  blended  together.  Thus  for  example,  Moses, 
speaking  of  the  destruction  of  the  first  born  of  Egypt, 
says,  "  at  midnight  the  Lord  smote  all  the  first-born  in 
the  land  of  Egypt  (6)."  The  wisdom  of  the  Alexandrian 
Solomon,  according  to  the  wisdom  of  Plato,  describes 
the  same  event  thus:  "while  all  things  were  in  quiet 

(5)  Calmet.  Bissertat.  Tom.  ii. 

(6)  Exod.  xii.  29. Psal.  Ixxvili.  51, 


214  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

silence,  and  that  ni^ht  was  in  the  midst  o^  her  swift 
course,  thine  Almighty  Logos  leapt  down  from  heav- 
en, out  of  thy  royal  throne,  as  a  fierce  man  of  war  into 
the  midst  of  a  land  of  destruction,  and  brought  thine 
unfeigned  commandment  as  a  sharp  sword,  and 
standing  up  filled  all  things  with  death  (7)."  The 
Christian  school  at  Alexandria  adopted  the  science,  and 
formed  a  new  body  of  theology,  a  compound  of  ihe 
simple  ideas  of  scripture,  the  reveries  of  the  rabbies, 
the  mysticism  of  Plato,  the  profane  literature  of  the 
Greeks,  the  instructive  lessons  of  Jesus,  and  the  frivo- 
lous comments  of  the  preceptors  (8),  The  next  step 
was  to  distort  scripture  by  ])retended  expositions,  ia 
order  to  make  it  speak  these  preposterous  notions :  and 
the  last  was  to  support  by  the  sword  what  no  other  ef- 
forts could  uphold,  and  to  make  tyranny  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical supply  the  place  of  conviction.  Every  suc- 
ceeding catechist  became  more  intoxicated  than  his 
predecessor,  and  about  sixty  years  after  the  death  of  the 
first  preceptors,  out  of  this  school,  roaring  like  a  lion, 
came  the  Arian  controversy,  the  scandals  of  which  filled 
the  whole  Christian  world,  for  by  forming  a  church  of 
pedants  they  transmuted  the  moral  discipline  of  Jesus 
into  a  disputatious  science,  discharged  of  its  original 
proprieties,  and  impregnated  with  dangerous  and  desper- 
ate elements,  which,  with  the  loss  of  many  thousand  lives, 
rent  that  mighty  mass,  the  whole  Judaizing  Christian 
church,  into  fragments :  the  vibration  continues  to  this 
hour  (9). 

At  this  distance  of  time  and  place,  it  is  impossible  to 
dive  into  the  hidden  recesses  of  the  hearts  of  the  first 
projectors  of  the  Alexandrian  academy  :  and,  for  much 
more  obvious  reasons,  it  will  ever  be  impossible  for 
frail  man  in  the  present  state  to  determine  why  Provi- 
dence suffered  the  religion  of  Jesus  to  undergo  a  change 
so  inimical  to  the  professed  intention  of  it.  The  con- 
version of  Christianity  into  a  learned  science  produced  a 
revolution  fatal  to  Christian  liberty.  The  preceptors  of 
the  school  united  in  their  plan  of  tuition  the  gospel  of 
Jesus,  the  discipline  of  the  Synagogue,  the  polity  of  the 
Greeks,  and  the  vulgar  superstitions  of  the  Egyptian 

(7)  Cbap.  xviii.  15. 

(S)  Clem.  Alex.  Stromal,  paashn. 

i.9)  Tillemoot,  Mem.  Ecdes.  Tom.  vi.  An.  319. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  215 

priests.      Of  all  the  modes  of  Grecian  polity,  that  of 
Sparta  seems  to  have  obtained  most  grace  in  the  eyes  of 
Clement.     He  thought  the  system  of  Lycurgus  mio^ht 
be  corrected  by  the  j)hilosophy  of  Plato,  and  united  \vith 
the  maxims  of  Moses  and  the  gospel  of  Christ.      The 
system  of  the   Spartan  lawgiver  is  extremely  deceptive, 
and  hath  beguiled  men  wiser  than  Clement  into  admira- 
tion.    Most  encomiasts  of  diat  government  applaud  the 
democratical  part  of  it  as  a  bulwark  of  liberty  (l).    They 
admire  the  principle,  that  children  are  more  the  propert}'- 
of  the  state  than  of  their  parents.     They  say  the  publick 
educating  of  all  alike,  rich  and  poor,  in  diet,  dress,  and 
exercise,  is  the  forming  of  a  state  into  one  large  family 
of  brethren.     Parents,  say  they,  spoil  their  children,  by 
giving  them  a  fanciful  education  :   but  the  wise  Lacede- 
monians enacted  that  children  belonged  to  the  state,  that 
they  should   be  publickly  brought  up  by  the  state,  and 
educated  according  to  the  intention  of  the  state.     This, 
they  add,  made  the  Spartans  as  virtuous  as  Pagans  could 
be.     As  soon  as  the  child  was  born,  it  was  examined  by 
proper  officers  of  the  state.     If  it  appeared  healthy  and 
robust,  likely  to  serve  the  state,  it  was  provided  for  : 
but  if  otherwise,  it  was  put  to  death.     At  seven  years  of 
age  the  children  were  distributed  into  classes,  educated 
all  together,  and  the  whole  of  their  education,  as  one  of 
the  chief  modern  admirers  of  this  discipline,   observes, 
"  properly  speaking  was  nothing  more  than  an  appren- 
ticeship to  obedience  (2)."     The  Pedagogues  of  Alex- 
andria intended  to  train  up  their  pupils  to  believe  mys- 
teries, and  to  obey  orders,  and  the  Spartan  polity  was 
highly  adapted  to  their  design.     Plato,  Aristotle,   and 
others,  had  observed,  that  the  Lacedemonian  discipline 
tended  only  to  form  the  body,  and  to  make  soldiers,  for 
these  tutors  of  the  Spartan  youth  were  all  Pedotribes, 
there  were  no  Pedagogues.       Clement,  who  observed 
the  same,   put  into  the  plan  of  his  school  the  literary 
Cliristian  Pedagogue,  and  supplied  the  place  of  the  ma- 
teriil    Px*dotribe    by  in*^roducing  the    exercises   of  the 
priesfs  of  the  temple  ci'  Isis  (3).'    The  bare  foot  and  the 
shjyen  crown,   the  abstemious  diet,  and  the  nerveless 
sapience  of  contemplative  indolence,  aetachment  from 

fl)  Rollin's  Belles  Letfres.    Vol.  iii.  Part  iii.  Chap,  in 
(2)  Rollia.  (5)  Stromat.  Lib,  i. 


216  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

the  world,  and  a  superstitious  confidence  in  symbols, 
particularly  across,  had  always  distinguished  the  Es<yp- 
tian  priests,  and  in  time  they  were  the  badges  of  Chris- 
tian pupils  (4). 

Egypt  was  the  land  of  symbols.  The  invention  of 
the  signs  of  the  Zodiack  was  not  theirs,  but  it  is  to  be 
sought  among  the  children  of  Noah,  in  the  plains  of 
Shinar,  round  the  tower  of  Babel  (5).  Thence  the 
Egyptians  emigrated  to  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and 
their  territory  is  called  by  writers,  sacred  and  profane, 
the  land  of  Ham,  for  the  family  of  Ham  peopled  Egypt 
(6).  They  carried  along  with  them  the  symbolical 
writing  of  the  Zodiack,  and  the  signs  are  yet  seen  on 
their  monuments  of  the  highest  antiquity.  The  con- 
dition of  the  country,  through  the  yearly  overflowing 
of  the  Nile,  which  was  always  preceded  by  an  Etasian 
or  annual  wind  blowing  from  North  to  South,  about 
the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  sun  under  the  stars  of 
the  crab,  put  the  governors  on  the  invention  of  new- 
symbols  to  be  exposed  in  publick  for  the  information 
of  the  people  of  the  approach,  the  rise,  and  the  full  of 
the  waters,  and  of  course  of  the  regulation  of  all  things 
dependent  on  the  flood.  Hence  an  order  of  men  to 
study  the  stars,  to  invent,  preserve,  and  exhibit  sym- 
bols :  hence  idolatry,  which  began  in  mistaking  sym- 
bols for  histories,  the  error  of  the  vulgar ;  and  hence 
the  hidden  meaning  and  the  mysteries,  all  the  science 
of  priesthood,  and  the  initiation  of  the  wise  into  secrets 
unknown  to  the  populace :  and  hence  at  the  final  settle- 
ment the  symbols  were  retained  for  the  vulgar,  and  the 
science  was  reserved  for  the  hierarchy  (7).  Whoever 
beholds  Jewish  Christianity  fixing  its  residence  in  an 
Egyptian  academy,  will  naturally  suppose  it  will  con* 
form  to  the  publick  taste,  garnish  itself  with  symbols, 
and  proceed  to  Africa  and  other  countries  in  the  mys- 
tical guise  of  hieroglyphicks.  Let  such  a  speculator 
take  up  Alexandrian  history,  and  he  will  find  his  theory 
reduced  to  actual  practice.  The  Egyptian  s}  mbol  of 
a  fall  of  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  and  the  time  for  the  re- 
turn of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Louer  Egypt  to  the  cultU 

(4)  Miclijelis    Angeli  Causei  de  La   Cliansse   deoriim  sitnulacra,  idola, 
alice  que  imagines  <ere<e.  apud  Grsev.  thesaur  antiq.  Rom.  Tab.  xxxvi. 

(5)  Abbe  Piuclie  Hist  of  the  heavens  Vol    i    book  i.  Sect.  m. 

(6)  Psal.  cv.  2.3..--lxxviii.  SL-'-Hutarcli.  de  Isid.  ct  Otir.  Ch<em,i<t, 

(7)  Plucbe.  Sect.  vii. 


BAPTISM    IN     THE     EAST.  217 

vation  of  their  lands,  was  that  of  a  bar  legged  surveyor 
of  the   marshes  with   a   staff  in  one  hand  surmounted 
with  a  whoop,  an  emblem  of  the  wind,  and  in  the  other 
an  instrument   like  a  cross  or  the  Greek  Tau,  to  meas- 
ure the  increase  of  the  Nile  (8).     Clemc  nt   observed 
the  Greek  Tau  was  an  emblem  of  the  cross  of  Jesus,  and 
this  whole  symbol  is  so  much  the  picture  of  an  original 
monk,   and  the  emblems  are  such  very  probable  rudi- 
ments of  the  staft'  of  an  abbot,  the  crosier  of  a  prelate, 
and   the  mysterious  and  miraculous  sign  of  the  cross, 
that    these   Christian   symbols   seem   evidently   copied 
from   Egyptian   originals  (9).     Partiality   in   favour  of 
Egyptian  symbols  was  a  perpetual  habit  of  the  Jews. 
Their  first   high   priest  made  a  model  of  Apis  in  the 
golden  calf;  and  the  last  that  went  to  reside  in  Egypt 
made  cakes  in  honour  of  Isis,  the  queen  of  heaven  (l).  In 
perfect   agreement   with   every  circumstance   of  time, 
place,  manners,  and  so  on,  the  Alexandrian  tutors  are 
to  be  accounted  the  true  parents  of  the  custom  of  giv- 
ing milk  and  honey  to  persons  newly  baptized,  as  a 
symbol   of  that  mystical  infancy  into   which    converts 
by  baptism  had  been  born  again ;  as  Clement  explains  at 
large  in  his  Pedagogue,  and  as  Jerom,  African  coLincils, 
and  others  of  latter  date,    expressly  affirm  (2).       The 
same   men,  authors  of  human  creeds,  are  also  to  be 
reputed  the  true  authors  of  one  of  the  names  of  creeds, 
symbols.     The   most  accurate   modern   writers,  reject! 
ing  fables,  affirm  very  truly,  that  "the  name  symbol 
was  fetched  from  the  sacra,  or  religious  services  of  the 
Heathens,  where  those,  who  were  initiated  in  their  mys- 
teries, and  admitted  to  the  knowledge  of  their  peculiar 
services,   which  were  hidden  and  concealed  from  the 
greatest  part  of  the  idolatrous  multitude,    had  certain 
signs,  or   marks   called    symbola,  delivered  unto  them, 
bv    which  they  mutually  knew  each  other,  and  upon 
the  declaring  of  them,  were  without  scruple  admitted 
in   any  temple  to  the  secret  worship  and  rites  of  that 
God,   whose  symbols  they  had  received  (3)."      What 
country   bids  so  fair  for  the  union  of  this  Paganism 

(8)  Pluche.  Plate  iii  Fig.  6.  (9)  Stromal.  Lib.  vi. 

(1)  Exod.  xxxn.    Jer.  xliv. 

(2)  Pxdagcg.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  vi.  (3)  €r\UQal  history  o/th  creed. 

28 


218  THE     REDUCTION     OF 

with  Christianity  as  Egypt ;  or  what  place  in  Egypt  so 
likely  as  the  catechetical  academy  at  Alexandria  ? 

The  maxims  of  the  academy  like  the  laws  of  Sparta 
tjreated  a  family  of  equals  ;  and  the  specious  air  of  fra- 
ternal freedom  imposed  on  the  spectators  of  both. 

It  becomes  a  Briton  to  think,  that  the  celebrated 
Spartan  government  was  a  discipline  founded  on  in- 
justice, supported  by  cruelty,  inimical  to  population 
and  national  wealth,  incompatible  with  commerce,  lit- 
erature, arts  and  sciences,  utterly  destructive  of  freedom 
and  virtue,  and  productive  of  nothing  but  the  very 
worst  of  all  species  of  tyranny,  an  obstinate  aristocracy. 
Spartan  freemen  were  all  idle  gentlemen,  who  were 
forbidden  to  till  the  ground,  or  practise  any  mechanical 
employment,  and  who  spent  all  their  time  in  hunting, 
dancing,  festivals,  amusements  or  war  (4).  They  con- 
quered a  people  called  Helots,  and  converted  them  all 
into  slaves.  They  made  an  equal  partition  of  lands 
among  themselves,  and  compelled  the  Helots  to  farm 
them  for  their  masters.  They  obliged  this  degraded 
class  of  beings  to  perform  the  whole  manual  labour  of 
the  state,  as  they  were  pleased  to  call  themselves,  and 
with  unpardonable  ingratitude  and  cruelty  assassinated 
them  at  their  pleasure.  They  obliged  them  to  intox- 
icate themselves,  and  play  mad  pranks,  in  order  to  teach 
the  young  gentlemen  by  contrast,  sobriety  and  pro- 
priety of  behaviour :  a  brutal  practice,  but  ap- 
plauded by  too  many  moralists  (5).  Nor  was  the 
education  of  the  Spartan  youth  themselves  any  thing 
but  a  series  of  tyranny,  eradicating  every  domes- 
tick  virtue,  and  sinking  the  man  in  the  soldier. 
In  return  for  all  the  advantages  which  the  pretended 
state  derived  from  the  Helots,  the  army  protected  the 
Helots,  that  is,  they  guarded  them  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  blessings  of  slavery.  All  other  Grecian  states  paid 
a  particular  attention  to  youth,  and  their  love  of  boys  is 
a  curious  part  of  their  history  (6).  Pantaenus  the  first 
Catechist  of  the  Alexandrian  school,  was  a  native  of 
Sicily  (7).     His  pupil  and  successor  Clement  was  an  A- 

(4)  Potter's  Greek  antiquities.  Vol.  i, 

(5)  Clem.  Alex.  Padagop.  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  viii. 

(6)  Potter.  Vol.ii.  Book.  iv.  Chap.  ix.  Of  their  love  of- boys. 

(7)  Du  Pin.  mbliot.  Panttfnus  -  -•  -  Clement. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  219 

thenian,  who  studied  under  five  masters :  one  a  Jew,  anoth- 
er an  Assyrian,  two  in  Greece,  and  Pantaenus  at  Alexan- 
dria, from  each  of  whom  he  derived  something  that 
went  into  his  course  of  tuition.  Origen  came  in  hke  a  tide 
from  that  ocean  of  riddles,  the  philosophical  school  of  his 
master  Ammonius,  and  formed  a  coalition  of  all  sects, 
Pagan  and  Christian,  out  of  which  proceeded  an  innu- 
merable multitude  of  evils,  and  along  with  the  rest,  the 
seeds  of  Egyptian  symbols  ;  and  Spartan  education  grew 
and  ripened  into  a  hierarchical  aristocracy  of  spiritual 
soldiers,  whose  banner  was  the  cross,  while  the  people 
sunk  into  the  condition  of  the  Lacedemonian  Helots  (8). 
Exactly  as  foreigners  had  applied  to  Sparta  for  generals, 
so  did  congregations  supplicate  the  academy  for  Peda- 
gogues, and  the  natural  effect  followed :  the  pupil  be- 
came a  Pedagogue,  the  Pedagogue  a  Bishop,  the  Bishop 
an  Archbishop,  the  Archbishop  a  Patriarch,  the  Patri- 
arch a  general,  able  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  monks  to 
resist  a  governor  of  Alexandria,  to  destroy  the  syna- 
gogues of  the  Jews,  to  murder  philosophers,  to  tax 
and  oppress  inhabitants,  to  dethrone  other  Patriarchs, 
and  to  dispute  empire  with  Roman  Emperors  them- 
selves (9).  Such  were  tlie  benefits  of  transforming 
Christianity  into  philosophy,  and  of  converting  the  Ped- 
agogue into  a  Pedobaptist. 

Jerusalem-Baptism,   or    the    Baptism  of    Cat- 
echumens. 

In  the  first  century  Titus  depopulated  and  destroyed 
Jerusalem,  leaving  only  three  towers  and  a  small  part  of 
the  western  wall  for  barracks  for  the  garrison.  In  the 
second  century  the  Emperor  iElius  Adrian  rebuilt  it, 
called  it  after  his  own  name  i^lia,  and  dedicated  a  tem- 
ple to  Jupiter  Capitolinus.  An  insurrection  of  the  Jews 
to  repossess  themselves  of  this  new  Jerusalem  obliged 
the  Romans  to  besiege  and  destroy  it  again.  The  iElian 
colony  rebuilt  the  city,  every  place  was  defiled  with  Pa- 
gan temples,  and  a  chapel  was  dedicated  to  Venus  on 
Mount  Calvary,  where  Jesus  had  suffered  death.  Jews 
were  forbidden  upon  pain  of  death  to  enter  the  city,  or 

(8)  Mosheim  Eccles.  Hist.  vol.  i.  Cent.  ii.  Part.  ii.  Chap.  i.  S.  xii. 
The  pernicious  efiects  of  the  new  species  of  philosophy  introduced  by 
Origen. 

(9)  Dm  Pin  Bibliot.  Siec.  v.  Saint  Cyrillt  d'Aletcandrie. 


22d  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

even  to  survey  it  at  a  distance.  In  the  third  century  the 
name  of  Jerubalcm  was  so  entirely  forgotten,  that  when 
a  person,  who  was  examined  before  a  governor  of  the 
province,  of  what  country  he  was,  answered  of  Jerusa- 
lem, neither  the  governor  nor  the  court  could  com- 
prehend what  city  it  was,  or  where  situated  (1).  In 
the  fourth  century  Constantine  purged  the  citv  of  Pa- 
ganism, erected  magnificent  temples,  and  founded  a 
priesthood,  who  quickly  filled  the  holy  city  with  relicks, 
miracles,  pilgrims,  and  every  thing  except  morality  ;  for 
contemporary  writers,  even  of  their  own  party,  affirm  that 
idolatry  and  adultery,  theft  and  assassination,  and  every 
kind  of  iniquity,  was  openly  practised  there.  In  spite 
of  all  these  undoubted  facts,  the  bishop  of  Jerusalem  be- 
came a  patriarch,  the  metropolitan  of  about  forty- 
eight  prelates,  and  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
believers  a  regular  apostolical  succession  of  doctrines, 
ceremonies,  and  patriarchs  in  the  church  of  Jerusa- 
lem (2).  Never  were  the  stupendous  prodigies  lavished 
in  that  city  with  a  more  liberal  hand  than  in  the  days  of 
St.  Cyril  (3).  It  is  painful  to  read  the  monstrous  mir- 
acles of  the  times,  and  it  is  more  so  to  observe  Protestant 
writers  disgrace  a  mild  modern  discipline  by  pretending 
to  hold  it  up  as  a  counterpart  of  such  a  system  of  fraud 
and  violence  as  that  of  Cyril.  "  I  have  been,"  says  one 
with  a  very  good  intent,  "  the  more  particular  in  de- 
scribing the  dioceses  of  Palestine,  because  here  Chris- 
tianity  was  first  planted,  and  the  true  model  of  ancient 
episcopacy  may  best  be  collected  from  them  (4)." 

Cyril  was  a  nominal  bishop  about  thirty  years.  His 
catechetical  lectures-  were  composed  in  his  youth,  most 
likely  while  he  was  a  catechist,  and  uttered  extem- 
pore (5).  Twenty-two  years  of  his  episcopal  life  were 
spent  in  perpetual  quarrels  with  a  prelate  who  pretended 
to  be  over  hnn  in  the  Lord,  for  title,  honour,  income  and 
power.  He  was  by  the  interest  of  his  adversaries  several 
times  deposed ;    and  he  -often  changed  sides,  and  was 

(1)  Gibbon's  history  e>f  the  decline  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Vol.  ii.  Chap* 
xxiii    Jerusalem.     Newton  on  the  prophecies.  Vol.  ii.  Diss.  xx.  Part  iii. 

(2)  Baronii  Aiinal.  An.  351. 

(3)  Joaiinis  Grodecii,  Decani  Glo^oviens.  mt.  Cyrilli. 

(4)  Bingham's  Origcnes.  Book  ix.  Chap.  ii.  Sect.  viii.  Of  the  diocese  of 
Palestine,  or  the  patriarchate  of  jferusaUm. 

(5)  Cyrillia. 


BAPTISM    IN     THE    EAST.  '221 

Catholick,  Arian,  or  Scmi-Arian,  as  best  suited  the  time. 
He  was  ordained  by  the  orthodox,  and  re-ordained  by 
the  Arians,  but  as  he  returned  to  orthodoxy  and  sub- 
scribed the  Nicene  creed,  he  died  in  the  faith,  and  is 
ranked  with  the  saints.  The  last  eight  years  of  his  life 
he  was  allowed  to  enjoy  his  see  in  quiet  (6).  His  cat- 
echetical lectures  are  in  number  twenty-three,  of  which 
eighteen  were  delivered  tt)  Catechumens  to  prepare  them 
for  baptism,  and  five  to  the  same  persons  after  they  had 
been  baptized  (7).  Some  Protestants  have  doubted  the 
genuineness  ot  some  of  these  lectures  :  but  others  have 
shewn  by  sufficient  evidence  that  they  are  au the ntick  (8). 
The  Catechumens  of  Jerusalem  are  not  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  pupils  of  Alexandria  :  they  were  a 
very  diiferent  sort  of  people,  and  the  tuition  was  differ- 
ent. Learned  men  are  not  agreed  on  the  names,  and 
number  of  orders  of  Catechumens :  but  Du  Pin  and 
Bingham  seem  to  have  succeeded  best  in  arranging 
them  (P).  The  latter  distinguishes  them  into  four  or- 
ders :  the  first  were  die  Hexothoumenoi^  who  were  in- 
structed privately  without  the  church  :  the  second  were 
the  Acroomejioi,  or  hearers,  who  were  admitted  to  hear 
lessons  and  sermons  in  the  church  :  the  third  were  the 
GonuklinofUes,  or  kneelers,  who  were  allowed  to  attend 
certain  services  of  prayer :  and  the  last  were  called  £ka 
and  Com-petents ;  com-petents  or  joint  petitioners,  be- 
•ause  they  gave  in  their  names,  and  desired  to  be  bap- 
tized ;  and  elect,  because  they  were  approved,  and 
adjudged  fit  to  receive  baptism.  In  general  they 
were  all  called  Catechumens.  Into  this  state  any 
persons  might  be  admitted  :  the  children'  of  Christians 
as  soon  as  they  were  capable  of  learning,  and  Heathen 
men  and  women  at  any  time.  They  were  received  into 
the  number  of  Catechumens  by  imposition  of  hands, 
prayer,  and  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  time  of  con- 
tinuing in  this  state  was  very  different,  the  shortest  usu- 
al period  was  forty  days  :  but  various  canonical  dis- 
qualifications extended  it  in  some  cases  to  eight  months, 
in  others  to  two  years,  in  others  to  five,  and  so  on  :  and 

(6)  Socrat.     Hist.  Eccles.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xxx. 

(7)  Cyrilli  Hicrosol.  Archiep.  Qatecheses.  cum  intepretat. 

(8)  Andreje  Riveti  Critic.  Sacr.    Lib,  iii.  Cap.  x. 

(9)  Antiquities^  Book  x.  Chap.  i.   Of  the  institution  of  Catechitmene, 


222  THE    REDUGTION    OF 

a  great  many,  who  for  various  purposes  had  chosen  to 
put  their  names  on  the  Catechumen  hst,  did  not  think 
lit  to  proceed  any  further  till  they  drew  near  to  the 
close  of  life  (1).  A  celebrated  Italian  historian,  having 
mentioned  Constantine,  Valentinian  II.  Ambrose  and 
others,  who  had  delayed  their  baptism  till  danger  or  in- 
terest roused  them,  and  having  observed  that  the  cus- 
tom was  general  among  the  great,  assigns  two  \ery 
probable  motives  of  their  conduct  :  the  one,  tnat  they 
might  not  be  obliged  to  submit  to  harsh  penances,  and 
the  other,  that  they  might  not  lose  the  benefit  of  baptism 
by  committing  crimes  after  it  (2).  In  such  cases  the 
ceremonial  of  catechetical  initiation  was  extremely  ab- 
breviated, although  some  shadow  of  it  was  preserved. 
This  explains  what  ecclesiastical  historians  say  of  such 
cases,  as,  for  example,  of  that  of  the  Emperor  Theodo- 
sius.  He  fell  sick  at  Thessalonica,  and  sent  for  Ascho- 
lius  the  bishop  to  baptize  him.  As  the  Emperor  had 
been  trained  up  in  the  Nicene  faith,  he  asked  the  bish- 
op what  faith  he  professed  ?  Ascholius  very  prudentljr 
answered  that  himself  and  all  the  Christians  in  the 
country  detcf^ted  the  novel  opinions  of  Arius,  and  most 
firmly  adhered  to  that  ancient  faith  which  had  been 
held  by  the  apostles,  and  professed  by  the  council  of 
Nice.  Theodosius,  transported  at  hearing  this,  was  im- 
mediately instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  the  faith,  and 
initiated  and  baptized,  and  a  few  days  after  finding  him- 
self better,  he  set  forward  for  Constantinople  (3).  Ca- 
nons granted  indulgencies  in  cases  of  extreme  danger, 
and  courtiers  understood  how  to  expound  them. 

Cyril  sustains  in  his  lectures  the  character  of  a  Mys- 
tagogue,  for  he  interprets  the  divine  mysteries,  and 
shews  the  sacra  of  the  church  to  strangers.  The  first 
lecture  is  introductory,  on  the  necessity  of  preparing 
for  baptism,  by  laying  aside  the  practice  of  sin,  and  by 
exercising  penitential  virtues.  It  is  interspersed  with 
many  beautiful  passages  of  scripture  :  as,  make  ye  a 
7ieiv  hearty  and  a  new  spirit ;  joy  shall  he  in  heaiien  over 
one  sinner   that  repenteth ;  Come  unto  me^   all  ye  that 

(1)  Cone.  Illib.  can.  xlii. 

(2)  Piet.  Giannone  Istoria  del  regno  Di  Napoli.  Tom.  i.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  iv. 
S.  i.  Haia  1753. 

(3)  Socrat.  Mist.  Eccles.  Lib.  v.  Cap.  vi. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  223 

labour  and  are  heavy  laden^  and  I 'will  ghe  you  rest-,  nuask 
ye,  make  you  clean^  put  aivay  your  evil  doings  from  be- 
fore mine  eyes ;  blessed  is  he^  ivhose  transgression  is 
Jbrgpven^  'whose  sin  is  coi^ered:  and  so  on  (4).  The  sec- 
ond treats  at  large  of  sin  and  repentance  ;  the  third  of 
the  necessity  of  baptism  to  salvation ;  and  the  fourth  of 
the  principal  articles  of  faith  in  a  summary  view  :  as, 
of  God ;  of  Christ ;  of  his  being  born  of  a  virgin  ;  of  his 
crucifixion  ;  of  his  burial ;  of  his  resurrection ;  of  his 
ascension  ;  of  the  future  judgment ;  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
of  the  human  soul ;  of  the  body  ;  of  foods  ;  of  the  res- 
urrection of  the  dead  ;  and  of  the  holy  scriptures  (5). 
He  advises  the  Catechumens  not  to  read  apocryphal 
writings.  He  says,  the  New  Testament  consists  of  the 
four  gospels,  the  acts  of  the  apostles,  the  seven  general 
epistles  of  James,  Peter,  John  and  Jude,  and  the  four- 
teen epistles  of  Paul.  He  observes,  the  book  ends  with 
the  epistles  of  Paul,  and  he  makes  no  mention  of  the 
revelation  of  John,  nor  doth  he  once  quote  it,  although 
he  speaks  largely  of  Antichrist  from  the  book  of  Dan- 
iel.  The  remaining  lectures  recal  the  particular  arti- 
cles of  the  summary,  and  explain  them  more  at  large. 
In  the  preface  he  bestows  many  encomiums  on  bap- 
tism, calls  it  an  indelible  character,  and  observes  that 
none  but  hereticks  are  rebaptized  (6).  These  discourses 
were  pronounced  in  that  part  of  the  church  which  was 
called  Catechumenion,  where  the  Com-petents  sat,  the 
men  below  and  the  women  in  galleries,  in  the  presence 
of  believers,  who  had  been  baptized,  to  whom  the  Cate- 
chist  made  an  apology  for  speaking  of  first  elements 
before  them,  and  in  the  absence  of  other  Catechumens, 
who  were  not  preparing  for  baptism,  and  to  whom  he 
charges  his  auditors  by  no  means  to  impart  what  they 
had  been  hearing  (7).  Jerom  says,  Cyril  composed 
these  discourses  in  his  youth ;  and  it  should  seem  so, 
for  they  have  evident  marks  of  both  literary  and  moral 
juvenility.     Superficial  and  without  order,  interwoven 

(4)  Ezek.  xviii.  31. Luke    xv.  7 Mat.  xi.  28 Isai.  i.  16.-— 

Psal.  sxxii.  1. 

(5)  rifp*  /)eev.   p.    73. vi^i    ^^ti^ov.   74. ir«p<  tjj;   sx   Trxf^mev 

(6)  P.  9.    E<5  y«p  Kvpie;,    Kxi  fitci  7r<r<f»    K«<  ty  ZctTtliTfiX.  (aow  yetj 
«(  eitfiliKot  ANABAIITIZONTAI,  tmih  n  7rpe?«oy  ovk  v^t  Qtiw\((rfiei, 

(7)  Catech.  in. 


224  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

too  with  the  fables  and  superstitions  of  the  times,  they 
have  a  pious  and  mora)  turn,  which  indicates  a  heart 
not  then  depraved  with  such  passions  as  prelatical  hon- 
ours and  disgraces  afterward  excited.  Perhaps  the 
harmless  youth  might  not  then  know  wiiat  afterward  the 
council  of  Trullo  and  the  Emperor  Leo,  provoked  at  the 
obstinacy  of  the  practice,  published  to  the  whole  world. 
Behind  the  galleries,  there  were  small  retiring  rooms  for 
the  accommodation  of  such  as  chose  to  step  aside  ar.d 
meditate  and  pray :  but  into  them  some  retired  only  to 
practise  debauchery,  and  while  the  Catechist  below 
panegyrized  the  buildii'g  as  a  temple  of  God,  the  with- 
drawing rooms  up  stairs  were  devoted  to  the  service 
of  the  Paphian  Goddess  (8). 

These  lectures  were  deli\'ercd  at  proper  times  during 
the  forty  days  of  Lent  to  the  highest  order  of  Catechu- 
mens, and,  if  there  be  any  propriety  in  the  names, 
which  were  given  them,  tliey  may  be  supposed  to  have 
been  called  at  the  beginning  Com-peteiits,  because  they 
signified  their  desire  to  be  baj3tized,  Electa  about  the 
middle,  because  on  a  scrutiny  they  were  approved,  and 
.  Enlightened  at  the  expiration,  because  they  had  been  in- 
formed by  the  catechist  of  all  the  mysteries.  On  East- 
er-evc  they  went  to  the  baptistery,  which  was  a  build- 
ing distinct  from  the  church,  and  were  first  admitted  in- 
to the  vf6xv>.K>9  oiKoVf  that  is,  the  vestibule,  or  ante-room 
(9).  There  they  were  directed  by  the  priest  to  turn 
their  faces  to  the  West,  because  Satan  dwelt  in  dark- 
ness, to  stretch  out  their  hands,  and  to  renounce  the 
devil,  as  if  he  were  standing  before  them  ;  saying, 
Satan,  I  renounce  thee,  and  all  thy  works,  and  all  thy 
pomp,  and  all  thy  worship.  Then  turning  their  faces 
toward  the  East,  the  region  of  light,  they  repeated  the 
creed  :  I  believe  in  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  and 
so  on.  Then  they  proceeded  into  fnyx  <p«]<s-Dp««v,  the 
great  hall  of  baptism,  where  they  stripped  themselves 
stark  naked,  on  which  Cyril  exclaims  :  *'  O  wonder- 
ful !  you  were  naked  in  the  sight  of  all,  and  you  were 
not  ashamed.  You  resembled  Adam  naked  in  Paradise 
without  a  blush  (1)  !"  Then  they  were  rubbed  all 
over  from  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot 

(8)  Concilii  TruUani  she  Qiiinisexti.  Can.  xcvli. 

(9)  Mystagog.  i. 
(1)  Mystagog.  iis 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  225 

with  exorcised  olive  oil.  Immediately  after  this  they 
were  led  to  the  baptistery.  Each  was  asked,  whether 
he  believed  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  and,  on  his  professing  to  be- 
lieve, he  was  tliree  times  immersed  under  water  in  to- 
ken of  the  three  nights'  burial  of  Jesus,  three  times 
raised  above  the  water  in  token  of  the  three  days,  and 
on  the  third  immersion  he  went  up  out  of  the  water  as 
Jesus  rose  out  of  the  grave  (2).  Then  they  prefumed, 
or  as  they  express  themselves,  anointed  him  with  a 
sweet-scented  unguent  applied  to  his  forehead,  his  ears, 
his  nostrils,  and  his  breast,  a  symbol  of  his  receiving 
the  Holy  Ghost,  or  more  properly  the  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  called  Chrismata,  and  on  this  account,  the  oint- 
ment was  called  the  Chrism.  It  was  in  this  stage  of  the 
business  precisely,  that  the  name  of  Christian  was  con- 
ferred ;  and  the  moment  the  liniment  had  been  applied 
to  the  breast,  all  former  descriptions,  as  Pagan,  Jew, 
Heretick,  Catechumen,  Hearer,  Competent,  Elect,  Illu- 
minated, all  vanished  away,  and  the  new  name  Christian 
supplied  their  place  (3).  After  they  were  dressed  they 
received  the  Lord's  supper,  and  the  discourse  of  Cyril 
is  the  full  and  clear  doctrine  of  transubstantiation. 

Of  many  ecclesiastical  articles,  which  rise  here  to 
riew,  there  are  two  that  deserve  a  moment's  attention. 

First.  It  is  allowed  by  all  writers  of  every  communi- 
ty, that  the  whole  doctrine  of  Catechu menship  proceeds 
on  the  ground  of  some  hidden  doctrine  in  Christianity 
(4).  It  seems  as  clear,  that  there  was  no  such  doctrine 
till  the  third  century,  when  the  rudiments  of  it  were  in- 
vented at  Alexandria  ;  which  grew  by  the  fourth  centu- 
ry into  creeds  for  the  clergy,  and  into  the  Catechumen- 
state  for  the  people,  and  so  went  on  in  following  centu- 
ries till  it  ripened  ii.to  systematical  divinity,  of  which 
the  matter  was  furnished  by  Plato,  and  the  manner  was 

(2)  Tunc  unusquisque  interrogabatur,  an  crederet  in  nomine  patris,  et 
filli,  et  spiritus  sancti  .  et  confessi  estis  salutarem  confessioncm,  et  niersi 
ter   in  aqua,   ruvsus  emersistis,    atque    ita   per    hsec    symbola   triduanara 

Christi  significastis   sepulturam prima  emevsione  priniam  Christi  sub 

terra  imatibimini  diem,  et  immersione  noctem.  Sicut  enim  qui  versatur 
in  nocte,  videre  non  potest,  et  qui  est  in  die,  in  lumine  est  :  hand  aliter  in 
submeryionc,  tanquam  in  nocte  nihil  videbatis,  in  emersione,  contra, 
tanquam  in  die  eratis,  &c. 

(3)  Mystag.  iii.  (4)  Gyrilli  Frxfat  ad  Cateches. 

29 


!;^26  THE     REDUCTION     OF 

taken  from  Aristotle  (5).  The  schoolmen  dilated  the 
subject  beyond  all  bounds  ;  and  the  reformers  reduced 
it  to  a  compact  size  :  but  the  whole  in  every  form  is 
antiscriptural,  and  the  connection  of  it  with  church 
communion  tends  to  defeat  the  great  end  for  which  Je- 
sus came  into  the  world.  It  is  an  unnatural  union  of 
the  school  with  the  church,  as  fatal  to  mental  and  moral 
refinement,  as  the  alliance  of  church  and  state  is  to 
equal  and  universal  liberty. 

Lastly.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  hereticks  had  no 
such  state  as  that  of  Catechumens  (6).  Tertullian 
particularly  mentions  the  Catechumen-state.  "  There 
is  no  distinction,  says  he,  between  Catechumens  and 
believers  ;  they  all  meet  together,  they  all  pray  together, 
they  all  hear  together ;  and  if  heathens  happen  to  go 
into  their  assemblies,  they  give  that  which  is  holy  to 
dogs,  and  cast  their  counterfeit  pearl  before  swine. 
Their  manner  is  in  perfect  union  with  their  faith." 
Whatever  these  hereticks  were,  it  is  certain,  the  proph- 
ets boasted,  they  had  7iot  spoken  in  secret.  Jesus  told 
the  high  priest,  I  spake  openly  to  the  ivorld ;  I  ever 
taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  temple,  whither 
the  Jews  always  resort,  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing. 
He  commanded  his  disciples  to  publish  his  private 
discourses  on  the  house-tops.  The  apostles  endeavour- 
ed to  make  all  men  see ;  to  declare  the  whole  counsel 
of  God  ;  and  to  keep  back  nothing  that  was  profitable, 
but  shewed  their  auditors,  and  taught  them  publickly, 
and  from  house  to  house,  testifying  both  to  the  Jews, 
and  also  to  the  Greeks,  repentance  toward  God,  and 
faith  toward  the   Lord  Jesus  Christ  (7). 

It  is  hardly  needful  to  observe,  that  nothing  of  this 
ought  to  be  understood  in  disfavour  of  schools  for  child- 
ren, academies  and  universities  for  youth,  domestick 
or  social,  academical  or  ecclesiastical  tuition  of  young 
persons  in  the  principles  of  religion  :  but  the  whole 
is  intended  to  shew  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a 
concealed  doctrine  in  primitive  Christianity  ;  and  it  is 
dangerous  to  make  a  Catechumen-state  necessary  to 
the  entrance  of  all  persons,  however  qualified  in  other 

(5)  Ibid.  Tom.  i.  Lib.  poster.  Cap.  i. 

(6)  Prascr/'pt.  adv.  haeret.  Cap.  xli. 

(7)  Isai.  xlv.  19. ---John  xviii.  20.---Mat.  x.  27.-- -Epb.iii.  9.-- .Acts 
XX.  20. 


BAPTISM    IN     THE    EAST.  227 

respects,  into  a  Christian  church.  The  danger  lies  in 
the  conditions  annexed  to  such  a  state  ;  and,  on  this 
ground,  the  two  universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge, 
wisely  refused  to  accept  the  offer  of  Dr.  Busby  to 
found  two  catechistical  lectures,  with  an  endowment 
of  £  100  a  year  each.  A  celebrated  modern  writer 
supposes  "the  condition  might  be  modelled  so  as  to 
render  euch  a  benefaction  eligible  both  to  the  univer- 
sities and  the  publick  :"  but  some  doubt  this,  and 
think  experiment  unnecessary,  and  in  some  views  dan- 
gerous (8).  Catechists  and  Crypticks  are  twins  of  the 
same  parents,  and  they  have  lived  so  many  ages  in  hab- 
its of  the  closest  friendship,  it  would  be  next  to  impos- 
sible to  part  them  as  long  as  establishments  and  en- 
dowments continue. 

Greek-BapI-ism,    or    the    Baptism    of    Little 
Ones. 

Experience  taught  the  primitive  Catechists  two 
important  lessons  :  the  one,  that  people  left  to  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  own  understandings  were  not  eager  to 
incorporate  themselves  in  the  Catholick  church  :  and 
the  other,  that  the  condition  of  Catechumens  obliged 
them  to  make  some  abatements  in  the  terms  of  com- 
munion. One  of  these  ills  was  considerably  diminish- 
ed, and  the  other  entirely  removed,  by  making  litde  ones 
Catechumens,  and  so  baptizing  them  in  their  child- 
hood ;  and  this  fabrick  in  favour  of  church  power  was 
buttressed  by  an  orthodox  comment  on  the  doctrine 
of  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism ;  faith  was  the  cre- 
dulity of  childhood ;  the  belief  of  one  Lord  was  the 
profession  of  three  in  one ;  and  one  baptism  was  that  of 
a  little  boy,  never  to  be  repeated,  under  all  the  heavy 
pains  and  penalties  that  government  could  inflict  by  the 
hands  of  the  magistrate,  or  Heaven,  by  the  means  of  its 
faithful  servants,  the  monks  and  the  priests. 

It  should  seem,  the  baptism  of  children  was  first 
practised  by  a  small  obscure  sect  of  Gnosticks,  called 
Cainites,  Caianites,  or  Gaianites.  Gnosticism  rose  out 
of  the  oriental  philosophy,  and,  even  in  the  times  of  the 
apostles,  perverted  many  from  the  simplicity  of  Chris- 

(8)  Life  of  Hr.  Humphrey  Prideaus.  Lon^ow,  1748. -- -Confessional. 
Sd  edit,  London,  p.  463,  1770. 


228  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

tianity.  Paul  considered  it  at  Corinth  as  the  serpent  in 
paradise  ;  and  John  expressly  says,  some  deceived  peo- 
ple ivent  out  from  the  apostolical  churches,  because  they 
were  not  of  them  ;  that  is,  they  formed  separate  assem- 
blies with  which  the  churches  held  no  communion  (l). 
These  are  the  people  called  Gnosticks.  During  the 
two  first  centuries  they  were  the  only  hereticks.  Justin 
Martyr  savs,  they  were  variously  named  after  their 
teachers  (2),  and  Irenaeus,  who  at  first  sight  seems  to 
"Write  against  many  sorts  of  heresy,  actually  wrote  a- 
gainst  only  one,  however  diversified,  and  that  one  was 
Gnosticism  (3).  Tertullian  considered  the  subject  as 
Paul  had,  and  wrote  a  book  entided  an  Antidote  against 
the  Poison  of  the  Gnosticks,  for  this  is  the  meaning  of 
his  Scorpiacum  adversus  Gnosticos.  The  Caianites 
seem  to  have  been  of  the  Egyptian,  not  of  the  Asian 
class  of  Gnosticks  :  but  the  first  book  in  defence  of 
the  efficacy  of  baptism,  and  against  the  baptism  of  little 
ones,  is  directed  against  both  Caianites  of  Egypt,  and 
Quintillianists  of  Greece  (4).  All  classes  of  them  per- 
plexed the  doctrine  of  baptism,  by  affecting  sublime 
and  spiritual  explications  of  it ;  one  party  baptized  their 
converts  by  dipping  :  another  initiated  them  by  an  af- 
fusion of  water  mixed  with  oil  ;  some  pronounced  a  set 
of  barbarous  words  at  the  administration  ;  and  others 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  unknown  father  of  all,  and 
of  truth  the  mother  of  all,  and  so  on  ;  while  others,  af- 
fecting a  superior  way  of  thinking,  wholly  omitted  bap- 
tism (5).  It  was  one  of  the  principal  tenets  of  the  Gnos- 
ticks, that  rational  souls  were  defiled  by  matter :  hence 
proceeded  a  thousand  antievangelical  practices,  and 
among  the  rest  the  baptizing  of  children  as  soon  as 
they  could  ask  to  be  baptized.  Against  such  baptisms 
Tertullian  wrote,  and  he  pressed  the  innocence  of  chil- 
dren as  one  principal  reason  why  they  ought  not  to  be 
admitted  to  partake  of  an  institute  appointed  for  the  re- 
mission of  sin.  By  slow  degrees  the  doctrine  of  orig- 
inal defilement  crept  into  the  Catholick  church,  and  af- 
ter it  went  its  never  failing-attendant,  the  baptism  of 

(1)  2  Cor.  xi.  2,  5,  4.  (2)  Dial,  cum  Tj-phone  Judiso. 

(S)  In  Tertulliani  Scorpiac.  Adnotat.  Pamelii.  i. 

(4)  Tertul.  De  baptismo.  Cap.  i. 

(5)  Irenjci  adv.  haeres.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  xviii. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST,  229 

children,  checked,  however,  and  qualified  by  express 
declarations,  that  it  was  admissible  only  in  case  of  an 
apparent  danger  of  death.  In  the  annals  of  mankind, 
the  history  of  Gnosticism  exhibits  a  remarkable  display 
of  the  wonderful  versatility  of  error.  Doctrines  and 
ceremonies  appending  to  them,  which  the  primitive 
Christians  considered  with  horror,  in  process  of  time 
became  the  very  essentials  of  Christianity  with  their 
pretended  successors,  and  magick  sounds  of  metaphys- 
idal  ideas,  airy  nothings,  assumed  a  local  habitation  and 
a  name. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  any  thing  certain  on  the  bap- 
tism of  children  among  the  Gnosticks,  when  and  where 
it  originated,  whether  it  were  only  proposed  or  really 
practised,  how  far  it  extended,  and  by  what  means,  or 
at  what  moment  it  found  its  way  into  the  Catholick 
church  :  but  there  is  no  hazard  in  affirming  that  toward 
the  close  of  the  fourth  century  it  was  first  brought  into 
publick  by  Gregory  Nazianzen  ;  that  it  became  agreea- 
ble to  the  clergy  as  a  relief  from  the  inconveniences  of 
the  Catechu  men- state  ;  that  it  was  the  standing  mode  of 
baptizing  for  many  centuries  in  both  the  Greek  and  Ro- 
man Catholick  churches ;  and  that  it  became  popular 
only  in  proportion  as  fraud  beguiled  or  as  civil  power 
forced  the  reluctant  laity  to  yield  to  it.  It  may  be  proper 
to  observe  the  first  publick  appearance  of  it  in  the 
Greek  church. 

The  Catechumen-state  began  with  the  doctrine  of 
mystery,  and  continued  on  its  original  plan  about  two 
hundred  years,  when  Monachism  supplanted  it  by  intro- 
ducing a  new  discipline :  or  rather  Monachism,  by 
retaining  the  name  and  discharging  the  thing,  gradually 
got  rid  of  all  that  was  good  in  it.  It  appears'  with  the 
utmost  evidence,  by  the  sermons  of  Basil,  Nazianzen, 
and  others,  that  while  only  adults  were  admitted  into 
the  church  by  a  Catechumen-state,  the  general  delay  of 
baptism  was  a  distress  to  the  clergy  (6).  They  perpet- 
ually harangued  on  the  subject ;  they  set  forth  all  the 
causes,  and  they  employed  all  their  eloquence  to  remove 
them.  Some  wholly  contemned  the  discipline  ;  others 
objected,  the  ceremony  was  too  tedious;  many  urged 
the  example  of  Jesus,  who  deferred  his  baptism  at  least 

(6)  Bfiilii  Orat.  Exhort,  adbaptis-  •  •  -Greg.  Nazlanz.  Or  at,  xl. 


230 


THE     REDUCTION    OF 


till  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  ;  some  pretended  they 
durst  not  enter  on  a  profession,  which  required  a  hoiy 
life,  and  which  they  feared  they  should  not  be  able  to 
live  ;  others  chose  to  wait  till  they  should  be  in  a  con- 
dition to  adorn  themselves,  or  make  a  festival,  or  some 
handsome  offering  to  the  church  ;  and  the  rich  did  not 
choose  to  interrupt  their  pleasures,  or  to  be  baptized 
with  the  poor,  or  by  any  under  the  degree  of  a  bishop. 
The  whole  is  an  exact  picture  of  the  present  state  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  country  in  regard  to  receiving  the 
sacrament ;  and  modern  treatises  to  persuade  to  a  wor- 
thy participation  of  the  Lord's  supper,  are  precisely  the 
old  Greek  homilies  on  baptism  applied  to  another  in- 
stitute. 

It  was  in  the  year  three  hundred  eighty-one  that 
Gregory,  then  bishop  of  Constantinople,  delivered  his 
fortieth  oration,  and,  having  severely  censured  a  delay 
of  baptism  on  account  of  the  danger  of  it,  gave  his  opin- 
ion on  the  propriety  of  baptizing  children,  and  the  ab- 
solute necessity  of  baptizing  even  babes  in  case  of  dan- 
ger of  death.     These  are  his  words  : 


fi^i  T/i?  x^^^oi  ;  y>  K»i  rctvla 
IRxT^lKrafiiv  ;  Truvvys  EIIIEP  TIS 
EOEirH  KINAYNOS.  Kps«<ro-o)/ 
yaif  »vx;B-ytTMi  uyiXffB-yiveet,  t)  iTTiXBu* 
eicrPfxyii-oc,  Kus*  «IsA8«-«  -  -  -  Ilsg* 
h    T12N   AAA£2N     S<5«jK«  yv&iftjjv, 

s»7es    T8T»,    *)    tiTrep  Tara,  jjvfxat   K«( 

eCK.OVS'Xl     T«     fiV^lKOy     Kot(    XTTOKfVia-Bctl 

dvfxvlxt,  a  Kxi  (*■»  a-vvnvlx  rsAstiyj, 
«tAA  OVV  IvTTOVfilVX,  6vlu?  xyixl^iiv 
J\xi  '^v^xg  Kfl6<  ffuy.x[x  -va  ^iyxXea 


But,  say  feme,  what  is  your  opin- 
ion of  infants,  who  are  not  capable 
of  judging  cither  of  the  grace  of  bap- 
tism, or  of  the  damage  sustained  by 
thewantofit;  shall  we  baptize  them 
too  ?  By  all  means,  if  there  be  any 
apparent  danger.  For  it  were  bet- 
ter they  were  sanctified  without 
their  knowing  it,  than  that  they 
should  die  without  being  sealed  and 
initiated.  As  for  others^  I  give  my 
opinion,  that  when  they  are  three 
years  of  age,  or  thereabouts  (for 
then  they  are  able  to  hear  and  an- 
swer some  of  the  mystical  words, 
and  although  they  do  not  fully  un- 
derstand they  may  receive  impres- 
sions) they  may  be  sanctified  both 
soul  and  body  by  the  great  myste- 
ry of  initiation. 

Gregory,  the  metropolitan  of  all  Greece,  the  oracle  of 
the  Catholick  world,  gave  this  as  his  opinion^  which  is  a 
clear  indication  that  the  baptism  of  children  was  a  new 
affair,  unsettled  by  law,  human  or  divine  ;  and  this  in 
the  pulpit  of  the  cathedral,  at  Constantinople,  in  the 
dose  of  the  fourth  century.     Indeed,  it  was  impossible 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  231 

for  him  to  say  more,  for  as  the  whole  oration  proves, 
he  was  preaching  to  an  audience,  many  of  whom  were 
unbapti^ed  :  the  Emperor  Theodosius,  who  probably 
was  present,  had  been  baptized  very  lately  in  the  thir- 
ty-fourth or  thirty-fifth  year  of  his  age.  Gregory  himself 
was  thirty  when  he  was  baptized  ;  and  Nectarius  his 
immediate  successor  was  not  baptized  till  after  he  had 
been  elected  to  succeed  him  in  the  archiepiscopal  throne, 
and  yet  the  Emperor  had  been  trained  up  from  his 
childhood  in  the  Nicene  faith,  and  Gregory  was  born 
while  his  father  was  a  bishop  (7).  The  opinion  given 
by  this  prelate  is,  that  new-born  babes  ought  not  to  be 
baptized  except  in  case  of  danger  of  death.  In  such 
a  case,  he  says,  they  might  be  sanctified  without  know- 
ing it.  He  had  a  little  before  reproved  mothers  for 
hanging  magical  amulets  about  the  necks  of  their 
children,  which  very  likely  were  not  intended  as  charms, 
but,  like  the  coral,  and  eringoroots  of  modern  nurses, 
fastened  to  children  merely  for  the  purpose  of  rubbing 
their  gums  while  they  were  cutting  teeth.  He  advised 
the  good  matrons  to  lay  aside  the  use  of  such  demoni- 
acal baubles,  and  to  give  them  the  Trinity,  that  is,  bap- 
tism, as  the  only  great  and  good  amulet  (fi).  Here  a- 
gain,  on  this  part  of  his  subject,  Gregory  says  all  that 
can  be  said.  It  is  not  the  fault  of  the  orator,  it  is  the 
fault  of  the  subject  itself.  If  a  babe  receive  any  sanctifi- 
cation  by  baptism  without  knowing  it,  it  must  be  by  an 
operation  merely  mechanical,  and  the  similitude,  though 
taken  from  the  nursery,  is  just  and  well  chosen.  Bap- 
tism to  an  infant  likely  to  live,  promises  no  present  but 
some  future  benefit  to  be  derived,  not  from  baptism,  but 
from  some  other  things  connected  with  it  :  but  the 
benefit  of  baptism  to  a  dying  infant  must  be,  Gregory 
says,  mechanical,  like  the  friction  of  the  gums  with  co- 
ral. Further,  the  orator  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that 
children  not  in  apparent  danger  of  death  should  be  bap- 
tized at  three  years  of  age,  more  or  less,  because  they 
might  receive  some  impressions,  and  because  they 
could  pronounce  some  of  the  baptismal  words.     This 

(7)  See  the  Baptistery  of  S.  Sophia. 

(8)  Amulet,  pag.   648.      N)jot»v  niirci  :     Trinitatem   ipsi   da,   magnum 
inquam  illud  et  pulchrum  amuletum.     Aej   «v7w  -rnv  r^ix^a  ro  tiiyx  K«; 


232  THE    REDUCTION    01 

was  introducing  two  very  considerable  alterations. 
During  the  first  Catechumen-state,  it  was  not  a  fe-\r 
slight  impressions,  such  as  ceremonies  make  on  the 
minds  of  children,  but  it  was  a  rational  knowledge  and 
an  inward  love  of  virtue,  that  entitled  a  Catechumen  to 
become  a  Competent,  or  a  candidate  for  baptism.  The 
first  Catechetical  lecture  of  Cyril,  is  wholly  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  an  excellent  address  it  is.  Thus  he  speaks  : 
*'  Ye  disciples  of  the  New  Testament,  partakers  of  the 
mysteries  of  Christ,  if  any  of  you  affect  disguise  in  the 
sight  of  God,  he  deceives  himself,  and  discovers  his  ig- 
norance of  the  Almighty.  Beware,  O  man,  of  hypocri- 
sy, for  fear  of  him  who  trieth  the  heart  and  re'ms.  Ob- 
serve how  men  are  enlisted  into  the  army,  with  what 
diligence  their  ages  and  their  bodies  are  examined  :  so 
the  Lord,  when  he  makes  an  election  of  souls,  scruti- 
nizes the  will,  and  if  he  discover  any  secret  hypocrisy, 
he  rejects  the  man,  as  unqualified  for  his  spiritual 
army  ;    but  if  he  find  him  worthy,  he  freely  bestows 

grace. The  Lord  hath  prepared  you  a  spiritual  table. 

Say  to  him  with  the  Psalmist  :  thou  Lord,  art  my  Shep- 
herd^ I  shall  not  laant  !  The  Lord  maketh  me  to  lie 
dowji  in  green  pastures.  He  leadeth  me  by  the  side  of 
still  ivaters.  He  restoreth  my  soul  (9).''^  The  other  al- 
teration regards  the  baptismal  words.  Cyril  observes, 
there  was  much  for  a  Catechumen  to  say  at  baptism. 
Each  was  to  renounce  Satan,  and  each  was  to  utter,  at 
first,  the  whole  creed,  and  latterly  an  abridgment  of  it, 
as  :  I  believe  in  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  in 
one  baptism  of  repentance.  The  renunciation  of  Satan 
was  long  :  and  ran  thus  :  "  Satan,  I  renounce  thee  : 
thee,  thou  wicked  and  most  cruel  tyrant  :  1  no  longer 
fear  thy  power,  for  Christ  was  made  a  partaker  of  my 
fiesh  and  blood,  that  by  his  sufferings  and  death  he 
might  destroy  thy  power,  subdue  death,  and  free  me 
from  perpetual  bondage.  I  renounce  thee,  thou  cun- 
ning and  subtle  serpent  :  I  renounce  thee,  thou  impos- 
tor, who  under  a  form  of  friendship  employest  thyself 
in  all  iniquity  :  who  didst  beguile  our  first  parents  to 
sin  :  thee,  Satan,  I  renounce,  thou  minister  and  manag- 
er of  all  unrighteousness  :  I  renounce  all  thy  works,  and 

<9)  Psalm  vii.  9 ...  -  xxlii.  1,  2,  3. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  233 

all  thy  pomp,  and  all  thy  worship  (l).  The  plan  of 
Gregory  turned  both  the  renunciation  and  the  creed  in- 
to interrogatories  to  be  addressed  by  the  priests  to  the 
children,  and  there  remained  only  two  words  for  the 
children  to  utter  as  answers  :  the  one  to  the  renuncia- 
tion, the  other  to  the  creed,  and  both  easy  to  a  Greek 
infant  of  three  years  of  age.  The  priest  asked,  Dost 
thou  renounce  Satan,  that  wicked  and  cruel  tyrant,  and 
so  on  :  the  child  answered,  Apotassomai,  that  is,  I  do 
renounce.  The  priest  asked,  Dost  thou  believe  in 
God  the  Father,  and  so  on  :  the  child  answered,  Fisteiw, 
that  is,  I  do  believe. 

Perhaps  a  short  anecdote  of  an  affair  that  happened 
in  the  last  reign  may  not  be  misplaced  here.  About 
ten  or  eleven  years  before  Gregory  pronounced  this 
oration,  Galates,  a  child  about  six  years  of  age,  son  of 
the  reigning  Emperor  Valens,  lay  dangerously  ill  (2). 
Valens  was  an  Arian,  but  he  sent  for  Basil  the  Trinita- 
rian bishop  of  Cassarea  to  come  and  pray  for  his  son. 
Basil  went  to  court,  but  infatuated  with  system,  super- 
stition and  monachism,  he  presumed  to  inform  the  Em- 
peror, that  the  prince  could  not  recover  except  on  con- 
dition he  were  delivered  to  him  to  be  trained  up  in  the 
true  faith  of  the  Trinity,  and  baptized  by  the  pious, 
meaning  the  Trinitarian  Catholicks  (3).  In  such  a  case 
he  would  engage  to  restore  the  child  to  health.  Valens 
was  justly  ofiended  with  this  cruel  insult  on  the  feelings 
of  a  parent,  and  with  the  inflexible  pride  of  a  man,  who 
durst  propose  such  an  alternative  ;  and  he  refused  the 
oflfer,  and  ordered  some  Arian  to  baptize  the  child,  who 
soon  after  died.  Basil  was  a  great  orator,,  but  in  this 
instance  a  bad  courtier,  for  he  let  slip  a  fine  opportunity 
of  concilitating  the  Emperor  to  the  orthodox.  As 
Valens  was  succeeded  by  Theodosius,  a  Trinitarian,  the 

(1  Catech.  mystagog.  i.  p.  509.  T<  ovv  vfim  EKASTOS  i?-a?  tMyiv  ; 
aTTolcKra-ofAcci  a-oi.  Qiiid  igitur  nnusquisque  vestrum  stans  dicebat  ^  Renuntio 
tlbi,  Satana,  tibi,  inquam,  scelerato  et  ssevissimo  tyranno,  &c  p.  513. 
Tli<Tivi»  €<;  Tov  TToclif^u,^  K«<  e<5  Ten  war,  K«<  £<5  to  ctyiov  Trvivftx,  K««  s<5  «» 
BxTrlio-fAoc  ^ilxvciu?. 

(2)  Valesii  Annot  in  Socrat.  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  x. . . .  xxvi. 

(3)  Greg.  Nazianz.  Orat.  xx.  in  Basil Theodoreti  Hist.  Eccl.  Lib.  iv. 

Cap.  xix.  Dum  gravi  morbo  detiiieretur  filius  tyranni,  rogabant  sanctum 
hunc  virum  [Basilium]  ut  pro  eo  Deum  deprecaretur.  Cumque  is  banc 
conditionem  proponeret :  si  earn,  inquit,  mihi  ita  tradideris,  ut  eum  ad 
immaculatam  fidem  traducam,  ©t  ab  omni  doctrinsc  Arianje  iropietate 
librem,  curabo  ego  eum. 

30 


234  THE    REDUCTION    OE 

orthodox  got  into  pov\er,  persecuted  the  Arians,  blasted 
the  reputation  of  Valens,  gave  out  that  he  repented  of 
his  behaviour  to  Basil,  chanted  the  praises  of  Basil,  and, 
among  other  instances  of  his  miraculous  powers,  set 
forth  what  Trinitarian  baptism,  accompanied  by  his 
prayers,  would  have  done  for  Galates,  if  foolish  Herod 
(so  they  called  the  late  Emperor)  had  not  prevented  it. 
Basil  died  on  the  first  day  of  the  year  three  hundred  and 
eighty,  and  in  eighty  one,  the  same  year  that  Gregory 
delivered  his  oration  on  baptism,  he  pronounced  the 
funeral  oration  of  Basil.  In  this  he  informed  the  Con- 
stantiiiopolitans,  that  although  Basil  had  left  them,  yet 
he  had  not  altogether  forsaken  them  ;  he  lived  in  heaven 
offering  sacrifices  and  prayers  for  them  :  and  he  often 
gave  the  orator  friendly  admonitions  in  visions  of  the 
night.  The  close  of  the  oration  is  a  prayer  addressed 
to  Basil  (4).  Whether  any  of  these  visions  regarded 
the  efficacy  of  Trinitarian  baptism  to  infants,  Gregory 
doth  not  say  :  but  the  writings  of  both  these  prelates  put 
it  out  of  all  doubt,  that  the  orthodox  considered  the  tak- 
ing possession  of  children  by  baptism  as  the  most  es- 
sential of  all  manoeuvres  in  their  spiritual  warfare  against 
Arianism.  They  hazarded  nothing  by  affirming  that 
infants  dying  without  their  baptism  were  not  saved,  for 
they  could  not  be  contradicted  :  and  they  gained  much 
by  the  early  baptism  of  such  as  grew  up  to  manhood, 
for  premature  prejudices  govern  mankind  more  that  de- 
liberate disinterested  reasoning.  The  gradation,  or 
rather  the  degradation,  is  curious.  The  belief  of  the 
primitive  Christians  was  reason  yielding  to  evidence  : 
this  was  succeeded  by  orthodox  faith  :  faith  by  credu- 
lity :  credulity  by  prepossession  :  prepossession  by  a 
charm  :  and  on  this  they  built  a  church,  against  which 
they  flattered  themselves,  the  gates  of  hell  could  never 
prevail. 

The  opinion  of  Gregory  was  only  a  theory,  and  a  the- 
ory so  opposite  to  popular  practice,  that  nothing  but  a 
series  of  indefatigable  efibrts  could  give  it  effect.  The 
Catholicks  have  a  proverb,  that  if  Saint  Benedict  had  nev- 
er existed,  Saint  Peter  might  have  gone  a  begging  (5). 
And  true  it  is,  the  church  owes  all  it  hath  to  the  monks. 

(4)  Basil.    Tom.  i.  Oral.  XX.  pag.  372. 

(5)  Caraccioli's  life  of  Pope  Clement  xiv.  (^Ganganelli.)  p.  114.    Si  Ben- 
edictus  non  fuisset,  Petrus  niendicasset. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  ^^5 

The  first  monks  saw  clearly  that  children  were  the  most 
ductile  of  all  materials,  and  therefore  the  most  proper 
beings  to  constitute  such  societies  as  they  intended  to 
form.-  Succeed  they  did,  and  to  ascribe  their  success  to 
miracles  and  extraordinary  interpositions  of  Providence 
suited  the  ages  in  which  they  lived  ;  but  it  is  high  time 
now  to  take  oft"  the  mask,  and  to  observe  that  there  is 
nothing  astonishing  in  the  rapid  increase  of  monachism, 
and  the  consequent  universality  of  the  church :  it  is 
nothing  but  a  natural  train  of  events.  Monks  got  hold 
of  children  to  baptize  and  to  educate  :  all  the  rest  fol- 
lowed of  course.  If  Saint  Austin,  and  a  thousand  Saints 
beside,  said  infant  baptism  was  an  apostolical  tradition, 
it  was  as  little  as  could  be  expected,  and  the  wonder  is, 
not  that  they  affirmed  this,  but  that  they  did  not  inter- 
polate scripture  to  serve  the  hypothesis.  Perhaps  the 
true  reason  is,  infant  baptism  was  not  thought  of  early 
enough. 

In  proof  of  the  talents  of  the  monks  for  the  manage- 
ment of  children,  it  may  not  be  improper  just  to  glance 
at  the  happy  manner,  in  which  they  addressed  them- 
selves to  profit  by  imperial  and  ecclesiastical  infants.  A 
single  instance  of  each  shall  suffice. 

Theodosius  was  succeeded  in  the  empire  of  the  East 
by  his  son  Arcadius.  He  ascended  the  throne  when  he 
was  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  his  reign  of  a  little 
more  than  thirteen  years  was  distinguished  by  his  own 
incapacity  and  effeminacy,  and  by  the  unpopular  adm  n- 
istration  of  mean,  ignorant,  and  rapacious  eunuchs  (6). 
He  married  Eudoxia,  who  was  superior  to  him  in  un- 
derstanding, and  who  thoroughly  knew  how  to  gratify 
her  passions,  and  to  govern  her  lord  by  the  beauty  of  her 
person,  and  the  blandishments  of  her  manners.  The 
condition  of  the  church  was  deplorable,  and  the  amulet 
of  Gregory  Nazianzen  had  contributed  nothing  toward 
the  reformation  of  it :  on  the  contrary,  it  extended  and 
increased  the  depravity,  for  the  baptized  infants  had 
grown  up  to  manhood,  and  had  become  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical rulers.  Gregory,  who  had  never  sworn  since 
he  was  baptized,  was  extremely  shocked  at  the  scanda- 
lous language,  and  the  violent  disputes  of  such  bishops 

(6)  Clauflian.  Eutrop  -  -  - .  Tillemont.  IfUt.  des  Emfiereiin. 


236  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

in  councils  and  synods  (7).  He  says,  when  he  proposed 
mild  and  prudent  measures,  the  young  men  fell  a  chat- 
tering like  a  flock  of  ma.irpie's,  and  carried  away  the  old 
prelates  with  their  jargon  (8).  He  observes,  that  dig- 
nities in  the  church  were  acquired  by  crimes,  and  he 
could  not  tell  whether  the  see  of  Constantinople  were 
the  seat  of  a  tyrant,  or  the  throne  of  a  bishop  (9).  After 
the  decease  of  Nectarius,  the  successor  of  Gregory, 
the  eunuch  Eutropius  placed  John  Chr^sostom  on  the 
archiepiscopal  throne  of  Constantinople.  Chrysostom 
was  an  eloquent  declaimer,  a  sour  moralist,  a  patron  of 
superstition,  and  a  zealous  partizan  of  ecclesiastical  pow- 
er. His  fine  talents,  his  solitary  life,  his  generous  dis- 
tribution of  the  revenues  of  his  see,  his  severe  discij)line 
among  his  clergy,  and  above  all,  his  vehement  and  point- 
ed sermons  against  vices  of  all  kinds,  especially  those 
of  the  fair  sex,  raised  him  up  innumerable  enemies,  at 
the  head  of  whom  was  the  Empress  Eudoxia.  While 
the  languid  Arcadius  slept  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  under 
the  mild  absolute  dominion  of  the  beautiful  and  subtle 
Eudoxia,  the  eloquent  archbishop  was  driven  by  her,  as 
by  a  furious  unrelenting  storm,  from  the  pulpit  of  St. 
Sophia,  and  the  ttirone  and  dignity  of  Constantinople 
into  poverty,  disgrace,  and  exile(l). 

While  Chrysostom  was  under  disgrace  at  court,  and  be- 
fore he  had  quitted  Constantinople,  4  foreigners  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Palestine  waited  on  him :  Porphyry,  bishop  of  Ga- 
za, John,  archbishop  of  Caesarea,  and  2  of  their  deacons. 
After  mutual  compliments,  Chrysostom  inquired  their 
business.  They  informed  him,  that  the  city  of  Gaza, 
which  was  on  the  border  of  the  desert  toward  Egypt,  was 
overrun  with  Paganism  ;  there  were  eight  temples  of 
idols,  and  only  one  poor  church,  of  which  Porphyry  was 
bishop :  that  Christians  there  were  not  permitted  to 
hold  civil  offices,  and  the  idolatrous  magistrates  oppress- 
ed them,  insomuch  that  Porphyry  quite  disheartened 
had  determined  to  quit  his  otiice,  and  had  been  prevent- 
ed only  by  the  advice  of  John  of  Caesarea,  to  whom  he 
had  fled  for  counsel :  that  they  had  applied  to  his  holiness 
some  time  ago  to  beg  his  assistance  to  suppress  idola- 
try at  Gaza,  and  to  burn  and  utterly  destroy  the  temples, 

(7)  Tom.  ii.  De  vita  sua  Carmina.  (8)  Ibid. 

(9)  Orat.  XX.  p.  335. 

(1)  Montfaucon.  Vit.  Chrysost. 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  237 

and  now  they  had  made  a  voyage  in  confidence  that 
he  would  procure  them  an  effectual  order  from  the 
Emperor  for  that  purpose.  Chrysostom  recollected 
the  affair,  and  with  great  affability  exhorted  them  to 
hope  for  success.  For  his  part,  he  could  not  speak 
to  the  Emperor,  for  Eudoxia  had  taken  offence  at  his 
remonstrances  against  some  of  her  acts  of  injustice,  and 
had  disaffected  Arcadius  towards  him.  There  was, 
however,  the  chamberlain  Amantius,  a  true  servant  of 
God,  and  the  favourite  eunuch  of  the  Empress,  who 
had  great  influence  over  her,  and  he  would  send  for  him, 
and  commit  the  affair  to  his  discretion.  The  travellers 
took  their  leave,  and  returned  to  their  inn  (2). 

It  doth  not  appear,  that  the  four  monks  reminded 
Chrysostom,  that  the  temple  of  Jupiter  at  Gaza  was  a 
building  of  such  exquisite  beauty  that  even  Theodosius 
had  only  ordered  it  to  be  shut,  and  could  not  be  pre- 
vailed on  to  destroy  it :  that  the  monks  had  provoked 
the  inhabitants  by  alluring  children  and  poor  people 
into  their  community  by  false  miracles  :  that  the  quar- 
rel had  been  begun  by  the  imprudence  of  a  servant  of 
Porphyry  in  collecting  the  meat  that  perisheth  among 
the  country  people  :  that  some  time  ago,  Chrysostom 
had  employed  the  most  contemptible  wretch  alive,  Eu- 
tropius  the  eunuch,  who  had  all  the  power  of  the  empire 
at  his  command,  to  procure  an  order  from  Arcadius 
to  destroy  the  temple,  that  the  edict  was  issued,  and 
yet  that  it  had  no  other  effect  than  to  cause  the  doors 
to  be  shut.  Nor  did  they  inform  him  of  a  recent  ad- 
venture, which  they  had  met  with  in  the  present  voy- 
age. They  had  landed  at  the  Isle  of  Rhodes  to  pay 
their  respects  to  an  ancient  monk  named  Procopius  ; 
a  man  who  could  cast  out  devils,  and  foretel  future 
events.  Him  they  had  informed  of  the  business  of 
their  voyage,  and  he  had  given  them  advice  how  to 
conduct  themselves  so  as  to  succeed :  not  that  he, 
a  recluse,  had  received  any  information  from  man, 
but  the  Lord  had  revealed  it  to  him.  "First,  said 
he,  when  you  arrive  at  Constantinople,  wait  on  the 
most  holy  archbishop  John,  and  go  to  prayers  with 
him,  and  afterward  tell  him  your  business.  The 
Empress  is  just  now  offended  with  him,  and  he  doth 

(2)  Marci  diaconi  Gazensia  hist.apud  Baron,  An.  401. 


2oa  THE     REDUCTION      OF 

not  go  to  court :  but  he  will  recommend  you  to  Aman- 
tius,  who  is  the  favourite  eunuch  with  the  Empress, 
and  who  is  a  man  of  piety,  and  holds  priests  in  high 
estimation.  He  will  introduce  you  to  Eudoxia. 
When  you  are  introduced,  she  will  receive  you  gra- 
ciously :  do  you  briefiy  inform  her  of  your  whole 
business,  xjish  her  every  felicity,  and  take  your  leave. 
The  second  time  you  are  admitted  into  her  presence, 
after  you  have  repeated  your  business,  say  to  her  :  We 
hope  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  if  you  condescend  to  in- 
terest yourself  in  our  affair,  will  grant  you  a  male  child. 
This  will  give  her  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  for  she  is 
pregnant  ;  this  is  February,  and  she  will  lie-in  in  April. 
Here  leave  the  business,  and  with  the  blessing  of  God 
the  Empress  will  dispatch  it  entirely  to  your  satisfac- 
tion." What  Chrysostom  told  them  seemed  to  con- 
firm the  prophecy   of  Procopius. 

The  monk  who  wrote  this  history,  and  who  was  pres- 
ent with  his  Lord  at  the  interview  with  Procopius,  hath 
forgotten  one  circumstance,  which  accounts  for  that 
pleasure,  which  the  prophet  foretold  the  Empress  would 
discover  on  being  informed  that  Christ  and  the  bishops 
would  interest  themselves  in  the  formation,  the  birth, 
and  the  future  glory  of  the  child.  Eudoxia  secretly 
despised  her  husband  Arcadius,  and  bestowed  her  con- 
fidence on  a  Count  John  ;  and  the  publick  named  John, 
and  not  the  Emperor,  the  father  of  the  child.  Nothing 
was  ever  better  imagined  than  this  scheme  of  Procopius. 
It  was  an  handsome  proposal  to  wipe  off  all  scandal,  to 
maintain  more  than  the  legitimacy  of  the  child,  and  to 
pledge  the  whole  power  of  tlie  clergy  to  support  his  title 
to  empire.  Could  any  thing  be  invented  more  likely  to 
please  Eudoxia  ? 

Next  day  the  bishop  of  Gaza  and  his  companions 
waited  on  the  archbishop  again.  Amantius  the  eunuch 
was  with  him.  He  adored  them,  and  they  saluted  him. 
Compliments  over,  the  archbishop  ordered  Porphyry  to 
relate  his  business  to  Amantius.  He  did  so,  and  the 
eunuch  wept  and  flattered,  and  promised  to  inform  the 
Empress  of  the  whole,  and  to  introduce  them  into  her 
presence  the  next  day,  when  they  might  state  the  affair 
themselves.  Amantius  was  prefect  of  the  sacred  bed- 
chamber, the  first  of  the  seven  great  officers  of  the 
palace. 


BAPTISM     IN     THE     EAST.  239 

At  the  appointed  time  Amantiiis  dispatched  two  im- 
perial officers  to  conduct  the  travellers  to  court.  There 
they  found  him  in  waiting,  and  he  instantly  introduced 
the  two  bishops  to  the  Empress.  She  was  sitting  on  a 
golden  sofa,  and  on  their  entrance,  she  said  :  Peace  be 
to  you,  fathers.  Then  they  adored  her.  Pardon  me, 
said  Eudoxia,  ye  priests  of  Christ,  that  my  present  state 
of  pregnancy  would  not  allow  me  to  meet  you,  other- 
wise 1  ought  to  have  met  your  holinesses  in  the  vesti- 
bule :  and  pray  to  the  Lord  for  me,  that  1  may  have 
a  happy  delivery.  The  prelates  replied,  May  the  God 
who  blessed  the  womb  of  Sarah,  Rebecca,  and  Eliza- 
beth, bless  and  preserve  the  fruit  of  your  womb  !  The 
eunuch  Amantius,  added  the  Empress,  hath  informed 
me  of  your  business,  but  if  you  choose  to  state  it  your- 
selves, do  so.  Having  related  the  whole,  the  Empress 
told  them  she  would  use  all  her  interest  with  the  Empe- 
ror to  engage  him  to  grant  their  request,  and  she  hoped 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  she  should 
succeed.  Then  she  ordered  money  to  be  brought,  and 
dismissed  them  with  a  handsome  present,  which  they, 
too  wise  to  carry  it  out  of  the  precincts,  distributed 
among  the  attendants  in  office  as  they  passed  along- 
through  the  rooms  and  avenues  of  the  palace. 

As  Amantius  informed  the  bishops  of  every  thing, 
they  soon  understood,  that  the  Emperor  was  averse  to 
the  destruction  of  the  temples  at  Gaza.  He  was  willing 
to  gratify  Eudoxia  by  granting  an  edict  to  shut  the  tem- 
ple of  Jupiter,  and  to  deprive  the  pagan  part  of  the  in- 
habitants of  civil  offices,  and  he  thought  these  severities 
would  detach  them  from  idolatry  :  but  the  city  afford- 
ed a  large  revenue  to  the  crown,  and  measures  too 
violent  would  depopulate  the  place,  and  diminish  the 
wealth  of  the  state.  The  Empress  concealed  her  dis- 
satisfaction, and  next  day  sent  for  the  two  bishops. 
She  informed  them,  that  she  had  represented  their  aftair 
to  the  Emperor,  but  he  was  not  pleased  ;  however, 
she  would  take  another  opportunity,  and  perhaps  she 
might  succeed.  Porphyry  now  recollected  what  the  old- 
monk  had  advised  him  to  do,  and  feeling  himself  ani- 
mated, fixed  his  eyes  on  the  Empress,  and  said  :  La- 
bour for  Christ,  and  he  will  reward  your  labour  with  a 
son,  whom  you  shall  behold  live  and  reign  and  prosper 


240  ,  THE    11EDUCTI0N    OF 

for  many  years.  The  beautiful  Eudoxia  blushed  and 
smiled,  looked  more  lovely  than  usual,  and  rej^lied  : 
Pray  to  God,  fathers,  that  we  may  bring  forth  a  son,  and 
if  it  come  to  pass,  I  promise  you,  your  petition  shall  be 
granted,  and  more  than  you  have  asked,  for  with  the 
help  of  Christ  I  will  build  a  Christian  temple  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  city  of  Gaza.  Depart  in  peace.  Continue  at 
Constantinople.  Pray  assiduously  for  my  safe  delivery, 
and  soon  after  I  will  fulfil  my  promise.  So  saying,  she 
dismissed  them. 

In  due  time  the  Empress  was  happily  delivered  of  a 
son,  whom  they  named  Theodosius,  and  who  the  next 
year  was  solemnly  invested  with  the  imperial  purple, 
and  with  the  title  of  Emperor.  As  soon  as  the  Em- 
press recovered,  she  sent  for  the  two  bishops,  and  shew- 
ed them  the  child,  and  desired  them  to  sign  him  with 
the  benedictory  cross,  which  they  did.  Then  she  ask- 
ed :  Fathers,  can  you  guess  what  I  intend  to  do  ?  Por- 
phyry replied  :  Whatever  you  may  have  determined,  it 
proceeds  from  God.  Last  night  my  litdeness  had  a 
heavenly  revelation  in  a  vision.  I  thought  I  was  at  Ga- 
za, standing  in  the  area,  called  Marnia,  the  spot  where 
the  temple  of  Jupiter  stands.  I  thought  your  piety  pre- 
sented me  with  the  gospel,  saying,  take  this,  and  read. 
I  opened  the  book  at  the  words  of  Christ  to  Peter ; 
Thou  art  Peter,  and  on  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church, 
and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  You, 
Madam,  replied,  Peace  be  unto  thee,  be  strong,  yea,  be 
strong.  On  this  I  awoke,  persuaded  that  the  Son  of 
God  will  assist  you  to  execute  your  design.  But  what. 
Madam,  have  you  resolved  to  do?  The  Empress  an- 
swered :  As  soon  as  convenient  the  infant  will  be  bap- 
tized. Mean  time  draw  up  your  supplication  and  peti- 
tion in  it  for  whatever  you  please.  When  after  the  cere- 
mony, the  child  is  brought  out  of  the  baptistery,  deliver 
the  supplication  to  the  person  who  carries  him.  I  will 
instruct  him  what  to  do.  The  bishops  uttering  many 
benedictions,  took  their  leave,  and  as  the  Empress  had 
given  them  ample  power,  they  did  not  fail  to  exercise 
their  genius :  they  prepared  their  supplication  in  due 
form  to  request  the  young  Emperor  not  only  to  rase 
and  destroy  the  temples  of  idols  at  Gaza,  but  to  grant 
privileges  to  the  church    and    to   Christians,    and  to 


BAPTISM    IN    THE     EAST.  241 

bestow    endowments  for  a    future    revenue  :  for    the 
church  was  poor. 

When  the  day  appointed  for  baptizing  Theodosius 
came,  which,  it  should  seem,  was  about  a  year  and  a 
half  after  his  birth,  the  pomp  and  the  riches  of  the  East 
seemed  all  collected  at  Constantinople.  The  splendor 
was  beyond  all  power  of  description.  The  city  was 
crowded  with  people  from  all  parts.  The  decorations 
were  superb.  The  white  habits  of  attendants  resembled 
a  deep  snow,  and  the  torches  in  their  hands  twinkled 
like  stars.  The  processions  of  the  patricians,  the  no- 
bles, the  clergy,  and  the  military  orders,  ornaments  of 
white,  blue,  scarlet,  and  gold,  enriched  with  embroidery 
and  sparkling  with  jewels,  all  displayed  the  magnificence  of 
the  court,  the  loyalty  of  the  empire,  and  the  fervent  piety 
of  the  church.  The  Emperor  in  sumptuous  robes  of 
purple,  and  with  a  countenance  sparkling  with  hilarity, 
walked  near  the  august  infant,  who  was  carried  in  a 
splendid  vest  in  the  arms  of  a  nobleman.  Porphyry  and 
his  attendants  had  placed  themselves  in  the  vestibule  of 
the  cathedral,  and  as  the  procession  returned  from  the 
baptistery,  they  stepped  forward,  and  exclaimed.  We 
petition  your  piety ;  stretching  forth  their  hands  with 
the  supplication.  The  nobleman  who  carried  the  newly- 
baptized  Emperor,  stood  still,  and  ordered  the  petition 
to  be  given  him.  According  to  the  private  instructions 
of  the  Empress,  he  commanded  silence.  Then  open- 
ing the  scroll,  he  read  a  part,  and  thrusting  up  his  hand 
behind,  he  made  the  child  nod  his  head.  Instantly  he 
exclaimed  :  his  puissance  commands  all  things  contain- 
ed in  the  petition  to  be  granted.  The  people  shouted, 
the  courtiers  adored  the  Emperor  Arcadius,  and  com- 
plimented him  on  his  felicity.  The  news  ran  to  the 
palace,  and  Eudoxia  met  the  procession  at  the  gate, 
took  the  child  and  kissed  him,  and  then  carried  him  in 
her  arms  to  salute  the  Emperor,  exclaiming,  Happy  are 
you,  Sir,  who  have  lived  to  see  this  day  !  Arcadius  in- 
toxicated with  pleasure  discovered  by  his  countenance, 
he  was  no  longer  master  of  himself.  May  it  please  you, 
said  Eudoxia,  to  let  us  know  the  contents  of  this  suppli- 
cation, that  orders  may  be  given  for  the  dispatch  of  it  ? 
The  Emperor  commanded  it  to  be  read.  After  he  had 
heard  it,  he  said  :  This  is  a  serious  business :  but  our  re- 
Si 


242  THE    REDUCTION    OF 

fusal  may  be  more  serious,  as  this  is  the  first  act  of  the 
imperial  authority  of  our  son.  Not  only  so,  subjoined  the 
Empress,  but  he  gave  his  assent  in  this  sacred  habit, 
and  it  is  a  pious  supplication,  and  was  presented  by 
holy  bishops.  Arcadius  paused,  and  discovered  some 
reluctance  :  but  the  Empress  urged  his  compliance,  he 
authenticated  the  act,  and  festivity  crowned  the  day. 

In  several  succeeding  interviews  with  the  two  bishops 
Eudoxia  took  care  of  every  thing.  She  sent  for  the 
quaestor,  and  ordered  him  in  their  presence  to  draw  up 
the  divine  rescript  as  they  should  direct,  and  they  sug- 
gested words  which  engaged  all  the  power  and  wealth 
of  the  province  to  give  it  effect.  They  besought  the 
Empress  to  appoint  a  special  commissioner,  one  of 
the  orthodox  faith,  to  execute  the  edict  with  a  military 
force  under  his  command.  The  Empress  ordered  the 
eunuch  Amantius  to  find  such  a  person,  and  he  soon 
presented  to  her  a  tool  of  the  clergy  named  Cynegius, 
to  whom  she  delivered  the  commission,  with  a  sum  of 
money,  and  an  express  charge  to  take  nothing  of  the 
holy  bishops,  and  to  see  all  the  idols  subverted,  and  the 
temples  burnt  to  the  ground.  The  bishops  having  set- 
tled all  their  affairs  much  to  their  satisfaction,  prepared 
to  sail,  and  at  their  last  audience,  the  Empress  presented 
them  both  with  large  sums  of  money,  rich  vases,  and 
other  tokens  of  her  liberality.  To  Porphyry  she  com- 
mitted the  care  of  building  a  Christian  temple,  where 
that  of  Jupiter  stood,  and  a  monastery  adjacent  for  the 
entertainment  of  pilgrims  :  and  she  delivered  to  him 
such  a  sum  as  she  supposed  sufficient  for  the  purpose, 
but  with  an  express  order  to  apply  to  her  for  more,  if  it 
should  be  found  necessary.  Lastly,  they  were  permit- 
ted to  take  leave  of  the  Emperor.  Arcadius  inquired, 
whether  their  business  had  been  expedited  to  their  sat- 
isfaction, and  whether  the  Empress  had  made  them  any 
presents.  They  answered,  their  business  had  been  ex- 
pedited, through  the  pious  favour  of  himself,  his  con- 
sort, and  his  son,  whom  they  prayed  God  to  preserve  : 
and  they  had  received  noble  presents.  The  Emperor 
then  gave  them  a  purse  of  money  to  bear  their  chart,'es, 
and  an  order  on  the  prefecture  of  the  province  of  Pal- 
estine for  tvA-enty  pounds  of  gold.  Thus  they  departed, 
loaded  with  riches  and  honours,  graced  with  imperial 
favour,  guarded  by  troops  of  the  empire,  and  dignified 


BAPTISW    IN    THE    EAST. 


24^ 


with  the  characters  of  prophets  inspired  by  Almigh- 
ty God,  and  all  at  the  easy  price  of  playing  one  trick  at 
baptism  with  an  infant  in  arms. 

When  the  holy  jugglers  disembarked  at  Maiuma  on 
the  coast  of  Gaza,  they' gave  out  that  they  had  narrowly 
escaped  shipwreck.  Happily  in  a  violent  storm,  Lord 
Porphyry  had  a  vision,  in  which  Procopius  the  her- 
mit  appeared  to  him,  and  informed  him  that  the 
captain  was  an  Arian.  He  awoke,  went  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  besought  him  to  abjure  his  heresy  for  the 
benefit  of  the  company.  He  did  so.  There  was  no 
time  to  lose  :  he  said,  I  believe  as  you  believe  :  I 
renounce  the  heresy  of  Arius  :  when  we  are  at  leisure, 
you  will  be  so  good  as  to  enlighten  me  in  the  true  faith 
according  to  scripture  (3).  Suddenly,  the  storm  subsid- 
ed. The  sea  was  calm.  A  fair  gentle  breeze 
sprung   up.     Five  days  after  the  vessel  arrived  in  port. 

Little  do  writers  in  favour  of  infant  baptism  attend 
to  the  subject  in  its  true  point  of  light.  This  may 
be  said  without  arrogance.  They  observe  the  pop- 
ularity of  it.  They  collect  a  few  detached  passages 
of  scripture,  which  some  of  the  fathers  have  given 
out  as  ostensible  reasons  for  it.  They  give  these 
writers  full  credit  for  integrity,  and  they  suppose 
whole  nations  embraced  it,  because  they  were  con- 
vinced by  scripture  it  was  a  divine  appointment.  As 
if  whole  nations  acted  from  conviction  :  a  case  never 
heard  of  since  the  world  began  !  The  most  zealous 
partizans  of  infant  baptism  must  allow,  that  if  the 
doctrine  be  divine,  it  is,  however,  a  popular  error 
in  regard  to  the  bulk  of  those  who  reduce  it  to 
practice-  There  is  great  reason  to  doubt,  wheth- 
er the  great  vulgar,  who  introduced  it,  acted  from 
conviction :  and  whether  the  whole  secret  did  not 
lie  in  the  infinite  use  of  children  both  to  the  gen- 
try and  the  clergy.  Let  one  example  of  each  suf- 
fice in  regard   to  ecclesiastical  children. 

Saint  Porphyry,  bishop  of  Gaza,  the  artist  just 
now  mentioned,  was  a  native  of  Thessalonica.  In 
his  youth  he  went  into  Egypt,  and  became  a  monk. 
After  five  years  tuition,   he  removed   into   Palestine, 

(3)  Ecce  dico  vobis,  credo  nt  creditis :  Abnego  hseresim  Arii.  Rogo 
autem  vos  ut  per  otium  me  ex  Sanctis  scripturis  illurninetis  ia  racta  fid«- 


424  TH£    REDUCTION    OF 

and  spent  five  5'ears  more  in  wanderin.^  from  mon- 
astery to  monastery  for  the  sake  of  perfecting  him- 
self in  all  the  lore  of  monachism.  At  length  he 
went  to  Jerusalem,  and  Cyril  made  him  a  priest, 
and  gave  him  the  lucrative  office  of  keeper  of  the 
most  sacred  cross.  This  was  one  of  the  most  gain- 
ful offices  then  in  the  church.  The  real  cross,  on 
which  Jesus  suffered,  it  was  pretended,  was  dug 
out  of  the  earth  three  hundred  years  after  his  death. 
The  custody  of  it  was  committed  to  the  bishop  of 
Jerusalem.  Every  Easter-Sunday  it  was  exposed  to 
view,  and  pilgrims  from  all  countries  were  indulged 
with  little  pieces  of  it  enchased  in  gold  or  gems. 
What  was  most  astonishing,  the  sacred  wood  was 
never  lessened,  although  it  was  perpetually  diminish- 
ed, for  it  possessed  a  secret  power  of  vegetation  (4). 
Here  Porphyry  improved  his  talents,  and  became  fa- 
mous for  a  gift  of  prophecy,  a  power  of  working 
miracles,  and  a  deep  insight  into  the  things  of  God, 
of  which  he  was  a  voluble  talker.  These  are  the 
utilia  animce  so  often  mentioned  as  the  subjects  of 
his  conversation  in  his  history.  Being  admonished 
by  the  Lord,  he  quitted  the  custody  of  the  cross, 
and  was  ordained  a  bishop,  and  stationed  at  Gaza. 
A  itw  nrionks  had  long  found  harbour  there,  and  had 
fixed  their  eyes  on  the  temple  for  a  cathedral ;  but 
they  were  few,  and  poor,  and  made  no  figure  till 
they  obtained  the  late  master  of  Saint  Cross  to  re« 
side  there  in  character  of  bishop  of  Gaza.  It  hap- 
pened soon  after  his  arrival,  there  was  a  long  drought, 
and  the  citizens  sacrificed  to  their  principal  god, 
Jupiter  Plimusy  in  hopes  of  obtaining  rain.  Por- 
phyry collected  all  the  souls  of  his  bishoprick,  men, 
women,  and  children,  about  two  hundred  and  eighty, 
and  went  out  of  the  city  in  procession  to  a  little 
place  of  worship  in  the  suburbs,  singing  and  making 
genuflexions,  in  order  to  obtain  rain  of  Christ.  Not 
being  returned,  late  in  the  evening,  the  magistrates  (pru- 
dently for  fear  of  a  riot,  it  should  seem)  ordered  the 
gates  to  be  shut.  Two  hours  the  people  of  God  knock- 
ed, and  wept,  and  prayed  ;  but  no  admission  could  they 
obtain.      Presently  the  south  wind  blew  :-  the  clouds 

(4)  Tillemont  Mtm.  Hecks.  Tom.  vii. Cyrilli  £fiist.  ad  Constant, 


BAPTISM    IN    THE    EAST.  245 

came  rolling  along:  the  lightning  flashed,  and  the  thun- 
der roared  :  the  darkness  was  thick,  and  the  rain  came 
pouring  down,  not  in  drops  but  sheets  of  water.  The 
mob  within,  in  mercy  opened  the  gate :  a  shout  was  set 
up,  Christ  alone  is  God,  Christ  alone  is  conqueror.  Por- 
phyry did  not  miss  his  opportunity  ;  he  observed  who 
exclaimed,  and  signed  them  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  : 
and  when  he  came  to  register  his  captives,  he  found  he 
had  caught  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  men,  thirty- 
five  women,  and  fourteen  infants,  five  of  whom  were 
females.  So  obstinate,  however,  was  the  incredulity 
of  the  citizens,  that  they  derided  Porphyry,  despised 
his  miracles,  attributed  the  shower  to  Jove,  and  not  to 
Jesus,  and  blasted  all  his  hopes  of  erecting  his  cross  in 
the  beautiful  Marnean  temple.  Himself  seems  to  have 
despaired  of  success,  when  he  fled  to  Caesarea  for  advice, 
and  probably,  had  it  not  been  for  his  fortunate  interview 
with  Procopius  in  the  Isle  of  Rhodes,  Porphyry  had 
never  been  /orc^  bishop  of  the  city  of  Gaza. 

Porphyry,  at  his  return  from  court,  found  his  flock 
reduced  to  thirty-nine.  This  did  not  dispirit  him,  for 
about  ten  days  after,  Cynegius,  the  imperial  commis- 
sioner arrived  at  Gaza,  attended  by  a  great  retinue  of 
officers,  civil  and  military,  and  some  regiments  of  sol- 
diers. The  principal  inhabitants,  aware  of  their  bus- 
iness, retired  into  the  country.  The  commissioner 
summoned  the  citizens  to  assemble  the  next  day  to  hear 
the  imperial  rescript,  and  such  as  remained  obeyed  the 
summons :  and  in  the  presence  of  a  duke  and  a  consu- 
lar he  opened  his  commission,  and  read  the  edict,  which 
the  quasstor  had  drawn  up  at  the  directiqn  of  Porphyry. 
When  the  assembly  heard  that  all  their  images  were 
ordered  to  be  subverted,  and  all  their  temples  to  be 
burnt  to  the  ground,  they  set  up  a  hideous  outcry,  for  their 
statues  and  chapels  were  innumerable,  the  temples  of 
the  Sun,  of  Venus,  of  Apollo,  of  Proserpine,  and  the  rest, 
were  all  splendid,  but  that  of  Marnean  Jove  was  of  such 
exquisite  magnificence  and  beauty,  that  all  former 
Christian  Emperors  had  spared  it.  The  tears  of  the 
citizens  were  signals  to  plunder,  and  while  some  of  them 
were  chastised  with  corporeal  punishment,  the  soldiery 
flew  to  the  temples,  and  spread  terror  through  all  the 
city.     Before  they  arrived  at  the  Marnean  temple,  they 


ii4b  THE    REDUCTION     01 

found  the  Pagan  priests  and  many  inhabitants  had  fled 
thither.  Some  carried  away  sacred  statues  and  rich 
sacrificial  utensils  by  private  passages  to  hide.  Others 
barricadoed  the  inner  gates  and  doors,  and  prepared 
for  defence.  The  city  was  in  an  uproar.  The  soldiers 
were  repulsed,  and,  having  plenty  of  prey  elsewhere  in 
prospect,  they  proceeded  to  other  temples  and  chapels 
both  in  town  and  country.  None  but  soldiers  and  stran- 
gers were  allowed  to  possess  themselves  of  the  gold  or 
silver,  statues  or  vases,  ornaments  or  utensils  of  idol- 
atry :  and  they  were  glutted  with  the  spoil.  Ten  days 
they  spent  in  piously  sacking  the  city  and  the  sub- 
urbs, and  so  long  the  inhabitants  kept  possession  of  the 
Marnean  edifice. 

Opinions  were  much  divided  on  the  measures  proper 
to  be  taken  with  the  Marnean,  the  last  monument  of  the 
Pagan  magnificence  of  Gaza.  Some  Sdid  undermine  it 
by  digging,  and  throw  it  into  ruins.  Others  advised, 
set  it  on  fire,  and  burn  it  to  the  ground.  Some  propos- 
ed, let  it  be  purified,  and  corjsecrated  to  the  service  of 
God.  Porphyry  exhorted  them  to  spend  a  day  in  fast- 
ing and  prayer  to  implore  God  to  reveal  what  they  ought 
to  do.  In  the  evening  of  the  fast  day,  the  eleventh  from 
the  beginning  of  the  destruction,  a  sacred  consistory 
was  held  in  the  church.  All  on  a  sudden  a  little  boy  of 
seven  3'ears  of  age,  standing  by  the  side  of  his  mother, 
elevated  his  voice,  and  in  the  Syriack  language,  which 
was  the  vulgar  tongue  at  Gaza,  exclaimed  :  "  Burn  the 
inner  temple  to  the  ground  ;  for  many  grievous  crimes 
are  committed  there  :  and  there  they  offer  human  sacri- 
fices. In  this  manner  shall  ye  burn  it.  Take  melted 
pitch,  brimstone,  and  the  fat  of  swine  ;  mix  the  three  to- 
gether, and  well  besmear  the  brazen  doors.  Then  set 
fire  to  it,  and  the  whole  will  be  consumed :  it  can  be 
done  no  otherwise.  The  exterior  buildings,  and  the 
whole  surrounding  wall  leave  standing.  After  the  inner 
temple  is  all  burnt,  purify  the  area,  and  build  a  sacred 
temple  on  the  spot.  1  conjure  you  in  the  presence  of 
God  punctually  to  follow  this  direction,  and  no  other 
whatever.  It  is  not  1  that  speak,  it  is  Christ  that  speak- 
eth  in  me."  Bishop  Porphyry  was  struck  with  astonish- 
ment, and  spreading  out  his  hands  toward  heaven,  he  ex- 
claimed"! thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earthy 


BAPTISM     IN     THE     EAST.  247 

because  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  to  babes  :"  however, 
being  a  great  enemy  to  fraud,  he  sent  for  the  woman, 
and  in  presence  of  his  clergy  said  :  "  Woman,  I  adjure 
you,  by  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  tell  us,  wheiher  by 
any  suggestion  of  yours,  or  of  any  other  person,  to  the 
best  of  your  knowledge,  your  son  uttered  what  he  S:aid 
Goncerning  the  Marnean  temple."  The  woman  repli- 
ed :  "  May  I  be  punished  at  the  terrible  and  tremen- 
dous tribunal  of  Christ  if  I  knew  any  thing  of  what  my 
child  just  now  uttered.  If  you  doubt  me,  take  the 
child,  and  examine  him  with  threats.  If  he  have  been 
taught,  fear  will  make  him  confess.  If  he  confess  no- 
thing, it  will  clearly  appear,  he  was  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Ghost."  The  bishop  ordered  the  woman  to  withdraw, 
and  the  child  to  be  brought  in.  The  boy  was  fetched. 
Porphyry  asked  :  "  who  put  into  your  head  what  you 
said  in  the  church  to  day  about  Jupiter."  The  child 
made  no  answer.  Fetch  a  rod,  said  his  lordship.  A 
rod  was  brought.  Porphyry  took  it,  and  shaking  it  at 
him,  and  raising  his  voice,  he  said  :  "  Who  bade  you 
speak  ?  Tell  me,  or  you  shall  be  whipped."  The  boy 
stood  mute.  Then  the  clergy  tried  by  threatenings  to 
make  him  speak.  In  vain.  He  was  immoveable.  At 
length  the  weary  company  paused  :  when  io  !  the  child 
lifted  up  his  voice,  and  in  the  Greek  language  said  : 
"Burn  the  inner  temple  to  the  ground;  for  many  griev- 
ous crimes  are  committed  there,  and  there  they  offer  hu- 
man sacrifices.  In  this  manner  shall  ye  burn  it.  Take 
melted  pitch,  and  brimstone,  and  the  fat  of  swine.  MIk 
the  three  together,  and  well  besmear"  -  -  -  -  and  so  on 
to  the  end  of  his  oration,  word  for  word,  in  Gieek.  Por- 
phyry and  all  the  company  were  thundeistruck.  He 
ordered  the  mother  to  be  called  in,  and  inquired  wheth- 
er she  or  her  son  understood  Greek.  She  by  a  solemn 
oath  protested,  that  neither  of  them  knew  any  thing  of 
the  Greek  language.  So  the  company  were  convinced, 
it  was  the  voice  of  God.  Porphyry  then  made  the  wo- 
man a  small  present  of  money,  which  she  accepted : 
but,  as  soon  as  the  child  spied  the  pieces  in  her  hand,  he 
exclaimed  in  Syriack  :  "Mother,  take  nothing,  lest 
you  should  sell  the  gift  of  God  for  money."  The  bish- 
op and  the  priests  were  amazed.     The  woman  leturnec^ 


248  THE     KEDUCllON     Of 

the  money,  saying,  "  Pray  for  me  and  my  child,  and 
commend  us  to  God/'  Porphyry  ordered  them  to  de- 
part in  peace. 

Next  morning  the  temple  was  set  on  fire.  It  contin- 
ued burning  many  days.  The  soldiers  carried  off  an 
immense  booty  of  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  various  materi- 
als of  value.  Cynegius,  when  he  had  executed  his 
commission,  took  his  leave,  and  left  soldiers  to  take  care 
of  the  peace  of  the  city.  Cynegius  was  afterward  pre- 
ferred at  court.  In  due  time  Porphyry  erected  the  new 
temple.  The  first  year  he  admitted  three  hundred 
members.  Some  of  the  faithful  told  his  lordship,  he 
ought  not  to  admit  such  as  turned  Christians  through 
fear ;  but  he  replied,  the  Lord  often  whips  men  into  re- 
pentance, to  him  that  knocketh^  it  shall  be  opened ;  e^ery 
ivay,  whether  in  pretence  or  in  truths  Christ  is  preachedy 
I  rejoice,  yea,  and  will  rejoice.  So  fell  one  of  the  most 
magnificent  temples  of  the  East,  and  such  was  the  foun- 
dation of  the  holy  Catholick  church  at  Gaza.  Little  did 
the  Ethiopian  Eunuch  think  of  such  events,  when  Phil- 
ip baptized  him  on  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  this  city. 

Cardinal  Baronius  observes  upon  this  history,  that 
"God  for  the  greater  glory  of  Christ  reserved  this  com- 
plete victory  over  the  haughty  demon  of  Gaza  for  two 
little  boys.  That  glorious  temple,  which  so  many  pre- 
ceding Christian  Emperors  had  spared  :  that  temple, 
which  so  many  governors  of  the  province  had  never 
dared  to  destroy,  and  seldom  to  shut  :  that  temple, 
which  had  defied  the  prayers  and  tears  and  miracles  of 
so  many  holy  bishops  and  martyrs,  that  superb  edifice 
was  doomed  to  destruction  by  the  nod  of  one  infant, 
and  set  in  flames  by  the  oration  of  another.  Before 
Theodosius  knew  how  to  say,  my  father,  he  was  hon- 
oured of  God  to  nod  assent,  and  a  little  boy  inspired  by 
an  afflatus  of  the  Holy  Ghost  pronounced  the  sentence 
of  conflagration.  Thus  God  fulfilled  his  promise,  and 
out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  perfected  praise,''^ 
Some  Protestants  make  very  different  reflections  on 
these  affairs.  They  say  :  Let  us  cease  to  torture  the 
New  Testament  for  proof  of  infant  baptism.  Let  us 
examine  the  men  that  practised  it.  Let  us  recollect 
how  essential  to  their  schemes  it  was  for  them  to  fill  the 
world  with  exclamations  of,   Suffer  little  children  to 


■BAPTISM    IN     THE     EAST.  249 

come  unto  us,  and  forbid  them  not.  Let  us  feel  the 
force  of  one  intenotration  of  scripture  in  the  lips  of 
Porphyry,  in  the  ears  of  mercenary  eunuchs,  and  monks, 
and  in'  the  presence  of  I'heodosius,  and  the  little  orator 
of  Gaza,  Ccm  any  man  forbid  water,  that  these  should 
not  be  baptized^  who  hwue  recehed  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
well  as  we  ? 

Baptism  is  one  of  the  most  curious  and  complicated 
subjects  of  ecclesiastical  history.  Among  men  who 
stepped  off  the  ground  of  scripture,  and  laid  another 
foundation,  it  was  variable  as  the  wind,  and  in  every 
province  practised  for  a  different  reason.  At  Alexan- 
dria inserted  into  rules  of  academical  education  :  at  Je- 
rusalem administered  to  promiscuous  Catechumens  :  in 
the  deserts  of  Egypt  united  to  monastical  tuition  :  in 
Cappadocia  applied  as  an  amulet  to  entitle  the  dying  to 
heaven  :  at  Constantinople  accommodated  to  the  in- 
trigues of  the  court  :  in  all  places  given  to  children  ex- 
traordinarily inspired  :  and  in  the  end  by  an  African 
genius  affixed  to  the  supposed  universal  depravity  of 
human  nature,  and  so  reduced  to  an  ordinary  universal 
practice.  Porphyry  of  Gaza,  it  should  seem,  ranks 
with  the  administrators  of  baptism  in  extraordinary- 
cases.  He  was  one  of  the  bishops  of  the  memorable 
council  of  Diospolis,  which  acquitted  Pelagius  of  here- 
sy, after  Austin  had  condemned  him  for  it  (5).  One  of 
his  tenets  was,  that  infants  were  born  in  the  same  con- 
dition that  Adam  was  before  the  fall,  and  another  that 
baptism  was  not  necessary  to  the  salvation  of  iiifanr.s. 
Catholicks  affirm,  that  Pelagius  deceived  the  council  at 
Diospolis  :  but  it  is  not  worth  a  Protestant  dispute, 
especially  on  baptism,  for  the  fact  is,  children,  guilty  or 
innocent,  ordinary  or  extraordinary,  were  so  absolutely 
necessary  to  ecclesiasticks,  that  they  were  obliged  to 
have  them  at  all  adventures.  With  an  imperial  child 
ecclesiasticks  subdued  cities,  w  ith  noble  children  monks 
built  and  endowed  monasteries,  with  poor  children  (as 
Basil  observes)  the  clergy  formed  choirs,  and,  in  fine, 
of  children  necessity  compelled  them  to  form  the  whole 
Catholick  church. 

There  is  no  new  thing  imder  the  sun.     Such  was  the 
condition  of  irrational  religion  in  Greece,  that  when  the 

(5)  Concil.  DiospoUtnnum,  An.  415.  S.  Binii  ^Tot. 

32 


250  THE  riRST  ECCLISIASTICAL    CAXON  IN 

first  orator  of  Greece,  when  Basil  the  great,  Basil  the 
Christian  Demosthenes,  preached  and  prayed,  in  times 
of  drought  and  famine,  too,  the  men  pursued  business, 
the  women  served  mammon,  the  few  that  attended  the 
service  stared  and  yawned,  and  felt  no  energy  till  the 
last  canticle  was  sung,  which  they  understood  as  a  sig- 
nal to  knock  off  their  chains,  and  open  the  doors  of  their 
prison.  Infants  only  enjoyed  the  service,  for  they  laid 
by  their  books,  and  ran  from  school  to  church  for  a  hol- 
iday. In  vain  the  pious  episcopal  Demosthenes  thun- 
dered. Dismiss  the  infants  to  play.  The  united  voices 
of  church  polity  and  pleasure  exclaimed.  Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  us,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  oi 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


CHAP.  XXV. 

THE    FIRST    ECCLESIASTICAL    CANON    IN    EUROPE    FOR   THE 
BAPTISM    OF   BABES. 

THE  Catholick  church  of  Spain  continued  till  the 
eighth  century  a  national  hierarchy  of  itself  absolutely 
independent  of  all  foreign  jurisdiction,  and  as  the  clergy 
admitted  no  foreign  law,  so  neither  did  they  pretend  to 
give  any  to  any  other  nation.  Within  three  hundred 
and  seventy  years  they  held  forty  ecclesiastical  synods, 
but  all  the  canons  are  regulations  for  their  own  internal 
government.  Since  the  bishop  of  Rome  obtained  su- 
premacy over  that  kingdom,  he  hath  inserted  into  his 
code  of  universal  law  the  ancient  councils  of  Spain ;  and 
even  Protestants  have  condescended  to  quote  one  of 
the  year  five  hundred  and  seventeen,  to  help  the  cause 
of  modern  infant  baptism,  which  is  no  law,  but  rather  a 
license  to  baptize  babes  in  certain  cases  therein  men- 
tioned ;  for  the  monks  in  Catalonia,  who  framed  the  ca- 
non, had  then  no  compulsive  power  over  any  one. 
Vossius  was  a  very  learned  man,  and  by  quoting  this 
council  in  his  Thesis  on  Baptism,  he  hath  led  many 
Protestants  to  believe,  that  the  practice  of  infant  baptism 
was  observed  all  over  the  Christian  world  at  this  early 
period  ;  but  a  little  examination  reduces  this  mighty 
imagination  to  its  true  size,  and  shews  the  record  to  be 
a  very  suspicious  monument,  not  well  able  to  authenti- 


EUROPE    FOR     THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  251 

cate  truth  of  fact,  and  by  no  means  equal  to  law,  or 
convincing  to  reason  and  good  sense,  and  rather  dis- 
serving than  proving  the  history  of  the  antiquity  and 
universality  of  such  a  practice  as  that  of  baptizing  young- 
infants. 

There  is  no  trace  of  the  baptism  of  babes  among  the 
Spanish  Catholicks  till  the  year  five  hundred  and  seven- 
teen. In  this  year,  it  is  said,  seven  bishops  met  at 
Girona,  a  city  in  Catalonia  in  Spain,  and  framed  and 
subscribed  ten  rules  of  discipline  (l).  The  fourth  is  an 
agreement  to  baptize  Catechumens  only  at  Easter  and 
Pentecost,  except  in  case  of  sickness.  In  the  fifth  the 
seven  subscribers  agree,  in  case  infants  were  ill,  and 
would  not  suck  their  mother's  milk,  if  they  were  offered, 
to  baptize  them,  even  though  it  were  the  day  they  were 
born. 

As  this  is  the  first  regulation  of  the  baptism  of  babes 
that  was  made  in  Europe,  it  may  not  be  improper  apart 
to  examine  the  legislators,  the  law  itself,  and  the  prob- 
able extent  of  it. 

The  legislators  were  seven  (2).  The  first  was  John, 
bishop  at  Tarraco,  or  Tarragona,  an  old  Roman  town  in 
Catalonia  on  the  sea  coast  (3).  The  second  was  Fron- 
tinianus,  bishop  at  Girona,  a  town  in  the  same  province 
on  the  river  Ter,  not  far  from  the  coast.  The  third  was 
Paul,  bishop  at  Ampurias,  a  small  market  town  near 
Girona  in  the  same  province  on  the  coast,  toward  the 
Pyrenees.  The  fourth  was  Agritius  of  Barcelona, 
The  fifth  is  unknown.  The  sixth  was  Hebridius  of 
Egara,  a  small  Roman  station  near  Barcelona,  in  a  re- 
markable valley.  Egara  is  now  called  Tarassa,  and  the 
ruins  of  an  old  church  remain.  The  last  is  Orontius  of 
Eliberis,  but  whether  this  were  Elvire  near  Grenada,  or 
Lerida,  or  an  obscure  place  among  the  Pyrenean  rocks, 
the  Spaniards  themselves  cannot  tell  (4).  Some  of  the 
places,  and  all  the  men  are  so  obscure,  that  little  more 
than  their  names  are  known.  There  are,  however, 
four  remarks,  which  may  seem  not  impertinent. 

(1)  Concil.  Gerund. 

(2)  Concil.  Gerundense.     Garaijc  a  Loaisa  Notx  in  Concil.  Hispan. 

(3)  Petri     De     Marca,     Archiepisc.       Parisiensia.     Marca    Bispanica- 
Bescript.     Geograph. 

(4)  Loaisa  ubi  tup. 


252  THE    FIRST    ECCLESIASTICAL    GANON   IN 

First,  it  is  observable,  that  this  meeting  was  irregular 
and  partial.  It  was  not  a  general  council,  for  bishops  of 
all  countries  assembled  in  them.  It  was  not  a  national 
council,  for  bishops  of  all  diocesses  in  a  kingdom,  or 
their  delegates  assembled  there.  It  was  not  a  provincial 
council  ;  some  say,  a  part  of  these  bishops  were  suffra- 
gans of  the  archbishop  of  Narbonne,  and  belonged  to 
the  province  of  Narbonensian  Gaul ;  others  suppose 
Orontius  was  bishop  of  Eliberis  in  Boetica,  and  all  affirm 
that  there  were  several  other  bishops  in  Catalonia  suffragans 
to  Tarragona,  who  were  not  present(5).  Nebridius  of 
Egara  had  three  brothers  bishops,  Justinian  of  Valentia, 
Justus  of  Urgel  in  Catalonia,  and  Elpidius,  of  some  oth- 
er place  not  known,  yet  not  one  of  them  was  present(6). 
Hence  arises  a  natural  observation,  that  the  first  Euro- 
pean rule  for  infant  baptism  was  made  at  an  irregular 
meeting  by  seven  obscure  men  of  different  provinces, 
and  without  the  knowledge  or  countenance  of  their  su- 
perior neighbouring  bishops  in  the  province  where  they 
met. 

Secondly,  As  Catalonia  was  at  this  time  inhabited 
by  a  great  variety  of  different  tribes,  so  there  is  no  class 
to  which  the  description  of  these  men  agrees,  except 
that  of  vaLj;abond  priests  to  some  Roman  colonists,  and 
the  probability  is,  for  a  reason  which  will  be  men- 
tioned presently,  that  they  or  their  ancestors  had  come 
from  some  station  on  the  opposite  coast  of  Africa  (7). 
It  should  seem  they  were  a  low,  illiterate,  mongrel  sort 
of  African  Jewish  Christians.  Christians  they  profess- 
ed themselves.  Their  Judaism  appears  by  the  canons 
of  this  council,  in  which  they  regulated  the  feasts  of  the 
Passover  and  l^entecost,  and  the  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
bath (8).  That  they  were  of  the  AiVican  kind  is  prob- 
able from  their  corresponding  with  the  bishop  of  Carthage, 
from  their  consulting  him  on  articles  of  faith,  from  their 
calling  him  pope,  and  from  the  presence  of  Hector,  bish- 
op of  Carthage,  who  was  in  person  at  a  council  held 
at  Tarrag(Mia  four  years  before  this  of  Girona  (9).     They 

(5)   Cod.  Mss.  bihliothede  regitc  S.  Laurentii  apud  Loaisam. 

(6;  D  Nicolui  Antonii.  Bibliot.  Hispnna  vefus.  Lib.  iv  Cap.  i.  7.  de 
quatuor fratribus  efiiscopis,  Elpidio,  jf^usto,  Nebndio,  et  yustiniana. 

(7)   M.-AVC9.. pasahn  -  -  -  -  Hispan.  Illust .  passhn. 

(8;    Can  ii.  ili.  iv. 

(9)  Maximi  Ccesar-augustani  Episc.  Chronicon.  inter,  fragtnenta  chronic, 
apud  Nic.  Anton.  Bibliot.  Hispan.  vet.  ut  sup.  Tom.  ii.  Edit.  Joseph.  Saenz 
Card,  cle  Aguirre  Iio7na:.  16y6,  An.  513. 


EUROPE  rOR  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.     253 

are  called  mongrel,  or  mixed,  because  some  of  them,  two 
at  least,  are  found  in  other  Roman  councils.  That  they 
were  illiterate  all  the  canons  sufficiently  declare;  bat  one 
may  serve  for  an  example.  Thus  canon  vi.  De  con- 
versione  [^conversatione']  vitse  id  statuere  placuit  a  pon- 
tifice  usque  ad  subdiaconum  \_subdiaconatimi]  post  sus- 
cepti  honoris  officium,  si  qui  \_quis'\  ex  conjunctis  \_con- 
jugatisl^  fuerint  \fucru']  ordinati  \_ordinatus']  ut  sine  con- 
jure habitent  \jit  semper  altenusfratris~\  quod  si  habitare 
noluerint,  altenus  fratris  utatur  auxilio,  cujus  testimo- 
nio  vita  ejus  debeat  clarior  apparere."  This  is  a  droll 
article,  and  canonists  may  take  which  of  the  two  copies 
they  please,  either  will  afford  proof  that  the  compilers  were 
low  men  not  used  to  legislation.  They  could  write  their 
names,  which  was  somethingconsiderable  in  their  timeand 
their  circle  :  but  what  they  meant  by  subscribing  John, 
Agiitius,  and  the  rest,  bishops  in  the  name  of  Christ.,  it 
is  difficult  to  say.  Perhaps  they  did  not  write  so,  for 
some  copies  omit  this.  Perhaps,  also,  they  did  write 
so  purposely  to  express  by  whose  authority  they  suppos- 
ed they  acted.  Having  no  earthly  authority  to  hold  a 
council,  it  was  necessary  to  pretend  a  divine  right. 
Nothing  is  more  common  among  enthusiasts. 

Some  of  the  members  of  this  council  were  au- 
thors (1).  Nebndius  wrote  something,  which  is  lost. 
Orontius  wrote  some  verses,  which  have  no  merit  (2). 
Justinian,  one  of  the  brothers  of  Nebridius,  wrote  a 
book  against  the  Bonosians  in  proof  of  the  divinity 
of  Christ,  which  they  denied,  and  against  Anabap- 
tism,  which  they  practised.  Justus,  another  brother, 
wrote  a  comment  on  Solomon's  song, ,  a  very"  mean 
performance  (3).  His  exposition  of  two  verses  re- 
fers to  the  Uonosians.  Why  should  I  be  as  one  that 
ttirneth  aside  by  the  flocks  of  thy  companions  ?  These 
flocks  that  turn  aside  are  congregations  of  hereticks, 
who  are  called  companions  because  they  acknowl- 
edge the  birth,  the  crucifixion,  and  the  resurrection 
of  Christ.  As  the  lily  among  thorns,  so  is  my  loue 
among  the  daughters.     Hereticks  are  called  daughters 

(1)  Isidori  Hispal.  De  Claris  scriptoribus. 

(2)  Orentii  Coinvionitoriumjidelibus  metro  heroico.  Bibliot.  pair.  Tom.  viii. 

(3)  D.  Justi  Or^eUitanx  episc,  in  Cantica  Caniicor.  ExpUcatio.  Bib.  patr, 
Tom.  i. 


254  THE   FIRST   ECCLESIASTICAL  CANON   Ih 

because  they  are  as  it  were  bom  again  by  baptism,  but 
they  are  compared  to  thorns  because  they  hold  corrupt 
doctrine.  The  writer  says  toward  the  close,  that  if 
Christ  should  please  to  illuminate  the  reader,  he  would 
perceive  the  song  was  properly  expounded.  No  doubt. 
Mean  time,  without  divine  illumination  the  reader  may 
observe,  that  the  institutors  of  infant  baptism  in  Spain 
were  an  illiterate  party  of  low  enthusiasts,  who  took 
their  religion  from  Africa,  and  not  from  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, or  rather  from  detached  sentences  of  scripture, 
which  the  Carthaginians  taught  them  to  put  together, 
by  way  of  forming  apologies  for  their  precipitance  and 
ignorance. 

Having  observed  the  number  and  the  qualifications  of 
the  fathers  of  Girona,  it  may  not  be  improper,  thirdly, 
to  remark  their  authority.  When  the  council  met,  the 
country  was  under  the  government  of  the  Arian  Wisi- 
Goths.  Some  say  it  was  held  while  Amalarick  the  king 
was  a  minor  under  the  guardianship  of  his  grandfather 
Theodorick,  king  of  the  Ostrogoths  :  other  chronologists 
place  it  several  years  later  under  Theudis,  not  during 
his  lieutenancy,  but  while  he  was  king.  The  year  is 
immaterial  (4).  In  either  case,  it  was  during  the  Arian 
Wisi-Gothick  government.  The  council  was  not  held 
by  commission  from  the  crown,  consequently  it  was  no 
■more  supported  by  secular  power  than  an  agreement  be- 
tween seven  Jews  would  have  been,  had  they  met  and 
resolved  to  circumcise  all  the  children  that  should  be 
brought  to  them.  It  was  not  summoned  by  any  au- 
thority from  the  pope  :  neither  was  he  present,  nor  any 
delegate  :  nor  was  he  informed  of  it :  nor  was  it  sent  to 
him  for  his  approbation  :  of  course,  therefore,  it  had  no 
authority  over  Roman  Catholicks.  It  was  not  convened 
by  any  eastern  patriarch,  or  by  the  bishop  of  Carthage, 
and  consequently  none  of  them  paid  any  regard  to  it. 
Either  these  men  had  no  superiors,  or  they  acted  with- 
out  their  order,  for  any  thing  that  appears  ;  and  in  any 
case  it  is  a  legislative  power  unknown  to  the  constitu- 
tion of  every  Catholick  church,  Eastern,  African,  or  Ro- 
man, and  totally  abhorrent  from  the  constitution  of  free 
churches,  where  the  people  make  rules  of  action,  and 
not  seven  priests  for  seven  corporate  bodies.-    In  brief, 

(4)  N.  Antonii  BlbL  xet.  Kisp.Tora.  i.  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  ii. 


EUROPE  FOR  THE   BAPTISM  OF   BABES.  255 

it  is  extremely  credible,  that  this  was  a  little,  obscure, 
unconnected  party,  about  the  sea  ports  of  Catalonia,  who 
were  endeavouring  to  unite  thennsehes  with  the  church 
at  Carthage,  by  means  of  one  of  their  members,  their  most 
sweet  brother  Numinian^  probably  an  African  of  Numidia, 
and  a  seafaring  man.  There  was  a  regular  council  held  at 
Toledo  by  the  Spanish  Roman  Catholicks  in  the  reign 
of  this  king  Amalarick,  in  which  they  entered  it  in  their 
records,  that  they  gave  thanks  first  to  God,  and  then  to 
the  king,  praying  the  Lord  to  bless  him,  because  dur- 
ing all  his  reign  he  had  granted  them  liberty  to  hold 
councils,  and  regulate  their  own  reUgious  afl'airs  (5).  This 
Arianprince  might  have  said  to  them  with  a  good  grace, 
goye^  and  do  likcimse. 

Finally,  it  doth  not  appear,  that  these  honest  men  in- 
tended to  make  rules  for  any  but  themselves,  and,  clear 
enough  it  is  that  they,  who  quote  this  council  as  any  au- 
thority to  baptize  natural  infants,  have  not  well  consid- 
ered the  matter.  Quoted  as  an  early  authority  it  hath 
been  by  a  great  number  of  disputants.  Protestants,  who 
disallow  the  authority  of  general  councils,  can  it  be  once 
imagined,  that  they  will  pay  any  regard  to  this,  which 
is  defective  in  every  thing  essential  to  a  council  of  anv 
kind  ? 

A  moment's  attention,  in  the  next  place,  is  due 
to  the  canon  itself.  It  lies  before  an  examiner  in 
.  three  different  points  of  light :  as  an  historical  fact : 
as  a  rule  of  action,  and  as  a  rule  reducible  to 
practice.  The  first  inquiry  is,  whether  it  be  a  true 
fact,  that  seven  bishops  at  the  time  and  place  men- 
tioned did  hold  a  council,  and  frame  ten  canons,  the 
fifth  of  which  instituted  the  baptism  of  infants  of  a  day 
old.  This  doth  not  appear  a  very  credible  fact  for  sev- 
eral reasons.  First,  Catalonia  was  for  many  centuries 
after  this,  disputed  property,  a  seat  of  perpetual  war, 
now  in  the  hands  of  natives  and  colonists,  then  of  the 
Goths,  next  of  the  Saracens,  then  of  the  Franks,  next  of 
the  Spanish  Goths,  ever  changing  its  masters,  and  ever 
exhibiting  the  ravages  and  devastations  of  war  (6).  In- 
habitants fled,  their  houses  were  burnt,  their  churches 
and  monasteries  rased  to  the  foundations,  districts  mark- 
ed out  anew,    under  new   governors,   old   bishopricks 

(5)  Concil.  Tolet,  ii. 

(6)  ITispan.  illxtst,  passim,  --•?.  De  Marca.  — Aguirre  concU. 


256  THE    FIRST    ECCLESIASTICAL    CANON    IN 

grown  over  with  thorns  and  thickets,  new  ones  founded, 
now  under  a  metropolitan  in  Gaul,  then  independent, 
then  reunited  to  day  to  this  prelate,  and  to  morrow  to 
that.  The  best  Spanish  historians  complain  of  tke  total 
destruction  of  records  and  the  want  of  ,^enuine  archives 
of  those  times,  and,  if  such  a  writer  as  Zurita,  the  glory 
of  his  country,  acknowledges  this  of  the  seventh  and 
eighth  centuries,  is  it  likely  that  this  little  scrap  of  pa- 
per of  the  sixth  century,  which  could  not  be  reg- 
ularly registered  in  any  publick  office  either  of  church 
or  state,  is  it  likely  that  this  is  authentick  (7)? 

Further,  it  doth  not  appear,  by  any  authentick  lists  of 
books,  which  were  preserved  in  the  churches  and  mo- 
nasteries of  the  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth,  centuries,  that 
councils  made  any  part  of  their  collections.  There  is  in 
the  testament  of  Saint  Gennadius,  bishop  of  Asturias,  a 
donation  of  a  whole  library  of  books  of  two  sorts  :  the 
one  ecclesiastical,  containing  rituals  ;  the  other  monas- 
tical,  for  the  use  of  the  clergy  of  the  diocese,  consisting 
of  monastical  rules  of  living,  some  of  the  works  of  Pope 
Gregory,  some  of  the  epistles  of  Jerom,  and  the  writ- 
ings of  two  or  three  more  such  men,  but  no  books  of 
councils  (8).  This  is  dated  nine  hundred  and  fifteen, 
and  the  general  library,  like  all  others  in  the  same  parts 
of  those  times,  was  perfectly  fitted  to  the  owners,  who 
were  an  illiterate,  confident,  apostate  sort  of  Christian 
monks.  This  curious  will  begins  thus.  "  To  the 
"most  holy,  most  glorious  lords  triumphant,  under  God, 
my  most  mighty  patrons,  to  the  turnkey  of  heaven,  con- 
stituted chief  of  apostleship,  the  most  choice  Peter,  to 
the  most  gracious  Andrew  his  associate  in  the  same 
calling,  to  James  the  most  renowned  in  Iberia,  and  to 
the  hero  Thomas,  followers  of  Christ,  and  martyrs  for 
him,  aposdes  known  to  God  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  I,  your  humble  client,  Gennadius,  poor  in 
merits,  abundant  in  sins,  an  unworthy  bishop,  most 
surely  believe,  most  firmly  hold,  and  undoubtingly 
know,  that  you,  O  most  pious  and  powerful  patrons,  at 
one  word  of  the  Lord  that  called  you  immediately  left 
the  world,  and  all  things  in  it When  you  and  all 

(7)  Geron.  Ziiritje  Anales  de  la  corona  de  Aragon.    Tom.  i.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  i. 

(8)  Aguirre  Tom,  iii.  pag.  172.     Test  amentum   S.   Gennadii  Episcopi 
Asturicensis,     Valde  notandum.    An.  DCCCCXV. 


EUROPE  FOR  HIE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.     257 

Other  saints  shall  sit  upon  thrones  judging,  I  beseech 
you  entreat  the  king  for  me,  thut  mercy  may  tnumph 
overjustice,  and  may  transltr  me  fVom  the  goats  on  the 
left  hand  to  the  sheep  on  tht  i  ight."  It  is  very  truly  ob- 
served, by  the  best  judges  in  Spain,  that  while  literature 
flourished  there  among  Moors  and  Jews,  a  light  to  light- 
en  all  Europe,  it  was  gross  midnight  darkness  in  all 
the  Catholick  states  of  Spain  ;  and  there  was  no  appear- 
ance of  learning  among  them  till  the  close  of  the  thir- 
teenth century,  and  it  made  no  progress  till  about  the 
time  of  Cardinal  Ximenes,  in  the  fifteenth  century. 
Indeed,  the  collectors  of  councils  pretend  that  the 
church  of  Lugo  in  Gallicia  preserved  records  of  coun- 
cils from  the  )ear  five  hundred  sixty-nine  :  but  this  is 
far  from  being  credible  to  criticks,  and  the  corrupt 
state  of  the  Spanish  councils  is  acknowledged  by  all  the 
world  (9).  Cardinal  de  Aguirre  gives  up  twenty  as 
wholly  spurious,  or  if  really  held,  of  no  authority,  and 
had  his  Eminence  added  that  of  Girona  as  a  twenty-first, 
he  would  not  have  been  guilty  of  any  wrong,  for  the 
same  reasons  weigh  against  this  as  against  them  (1). 

On  supposition  the  council  of  Girona  were  really 
held,  the  question  would  naturally  rise,  w^hether  the 
canons  were  law  ?  Certainly  they  were  not,  either 
laws  of  the  state,  or  of  the  whole  church,  or  of  any 
province,  or  of  any  individuals;  and  they  ought  to  be 
considered  merely  in  the  light  of  resolutions,  exact- 
ly like  those,  which  are  made  at  a  club,  or  a  coftl-e-house 
in  England.  As  the  council-books  now  read,  the  affair 
looks  plausible,  but  on  examination  all  evaporates  into 
air.  The  books  say,  John  the  first  sub.'^criber  was  a 
metropolitan  :  but  this  is  no  part  of  the  original  ;  this 
is  a  conjectural  note  of  Garsias.  The  books  give  the 
signature  thus  :  1  John,  bishop  in  the  name  of  Christ, 
subscribe  :  but  the  same  books  in  the  margin  infornn 
the  reader,  that  other  copies  omit  the  words,  I, 
bishop  in  the  name  of  Christ  subscribe,  and  give 
as  the  signature,  John,  without  any  addition.  There 
were  more  than  a  thousand  different  Johns,  who 
signed    councils,    and    some    of    them     signed    sev- 

(9)   Dr.  Mich   Gcdcles  MIsceL  \o]  ii, 

(1)  Ag-uiire  Tom,  ii.  Dissert,  iii.  Exciirs.  vi.  Indicuhis  Chronologicus 
conciliorum  Hispatiite,  qua:  primie  qitatuor  sxciilis  eroc  Chri^tiants  celebrtita 
dicuntiir  in  novis  pseiido'Chromcis    N.71. 

33 


258  THE    FIRST    ECCLESIASTICAL    CANON    IN 

eral  (2).  Is  it  very  easy  in  this  multitude  to  deter- 
mine who  the  John  of  Girona  was  ?  If  the  narne 
were  abbreviated,  a3id  nothing  is  more  frequent  in  man- 
uscripts, the  difficulties  multiply  with  the  names,  and 
the  abbreviation  may  stand  for  John,  Joachim,  Jonas, 
Jordanus,  Jocundus,  Jobianus,  Immo,  Innocent,  Inge- 
nuus,  Imbertus,  Humbertus,  and  many  more.  This 
will  not  appear  visionary  to  any  man,  who  casts  an  eye 
on  an  abbreviated  manuscript.  To  what  a  miserable 
sfae  doth  Catholick  religion  reduce  mankind,  when  it 
obliLfes  them  to  acknowledge  as  a  part  of  religion  the 
validity  of  such  deeds  as  this  ! 

This  canon  is  yet  considerable,  in  a  third  point  of 
light,  as  a  rule  reducible  to  practice.  Here  a  new  set 
of  difficulties  start  up,  and  present  themselves  ;  for  a 
conscientious  man,  who  holds  himself  bound  by  a  law, 
must  think  it  of  consequence  to  understand  the  precept ; 
otherwise  how  can  he  reduce  it  to  practice  ?  The  diffi- 
culties of  this  law  proceed  from  one  word,  in  the  fifth 
canoi  ,  which  will  be  mentioned  presently.  The  fourth 
and  fifth  read  thus. 

Canon  iv.  Concerning  the  baptism  of  Catechumens 
it  is  ordained,  that  on  the  solemn  festivals 
of  the  Passover,  and  Pentecost,  \^a?id  on 
the  birth-day  of  Christ'\  by  how  much 
the  more  solemn  these  festivals  are,  by  so 
much  the  more  proper  it  is  that  they 
come  to  be  baptized  :  on  other  festivals 
only  the  sick  ought  to  be  baptized  :  it  is 
agreed  not  to  deny  baptism  to  them  at 
any  time. 

Canon  v.  But  concerning  little  ones,  lately  born,  it 
pleaseth  us  to  appoint,  that  if,  as  is  usual, 
they  be  infirm,  and  do  not  suck  their 
mother's  milk,  even  on  the  same  day  on 
which  they  are  born  (if  they  be  ofiered) 
[if  they  be  brought']  they  may  be  bap- 
tized (3). 

(2)  Labbei  Concil.  Apparat.  Tom.  xvi.  Index  Episcoponim  et  aliorum  qui 
qoncllih  interfuerunt. 

(1)  De  Parvulis  vero,  qui  nuper  [J?]  materno  utero  editi  sunt,  placuit 
constitui,  ut  si  infirmi  (ut  adsolet)  fuerint,  et  lac  inaternum  non  appetunt, 
et  am  eadem  die  qua  nati  sunt  (si  oblati  [allati,  Kxc.  et  /•do.]  fuerint)  bap- 
ttzentur. 


EUROPE    FOR    THE    BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  259 

The  words  in  Italicks  are  in  some  copies,  and  not  in 
others,  and  they  are  generally  omitted  in  the  printed 
council-books.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  the  fourth 
canonj  for  the  sense  clearly  is,  that  Catechumens  in 
health  were  to  be  baptized  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide, 
and  some  copies  say  Christmas  :  and  that  sick  Catechu- 
mens might  be  baptized  at  any  time  as  the  danger  of 
their  case  required.  The  fifth  canon  is  partly  clear  ;  it 
regards  natural  infants,  and  it  appoints  the  administra- 
tion of  baptism  to  them  on  two  conditions  :  the  one 
that  they  were  infirm,  and  it  was  agreed  to  take  their 
refusal  of  the  breast  as  proof :   and  the  other,  that  they 

were here  lies  the  difficulty,  one  copy  says,  alla- 

Ti  brought;  the  other  says  oblati  offered.  Let  the 
critick  choose  which  reading  he  pleases,  one  observation 
is  clear,  that  it  was  not  the  practice  of  the  framers  of 
this  canon  to  baptize  infants  in  health,  or  by  compul- 
sion ;  for  sickness  and  a  requisition  to  baptize  were 
the  only  titles  to  baptism  under  this  canon.  This  coun- 
cil, then,  proves  against  infant  baptism  :  first,  that  in 
the  year  five  hundred  and  seventeen  it  %\ias  not  the  cus- 
tom in  Catalonia  to  baptize  healthful  children  ;  and 
next,  that  it  had  not  been  the  custom  to  baptize  even 
sickly  children.  If  the  word  offered  be  the  true  read- 
ing, then  it  follows  that  these  were  seven  monks,  and 
that  the  oblation  of  children  to  infant- monachism  was 
precisely  what  the  canon  had  in  view.  This  is  the 
most  probable  of  all  conjectures  ;  and  if  it  were  of  any 
consequence  to  Protestants,  it  might  be  supported  by  a 
great  variety  of  proof  taken  from  monastical  history  in 
general,  and  the  state  of  this  country  and,  these  men  in 
particular. 

On  the  whole  then  (to  dismiss  this  dry  subject)  it  is 
extremely  doubtful  whether  such  an  assembly  as  that  at 
Girona  were  ever  held :  if  it  were,  it  should  seem,  it 
was  not  properly  a  council  of  bishops,  but  a  convention 
of  seven  monks:  the  canons  seem  not  intended  for  law 
of  the  province,  much  less  for  a  rule  of  the  whole 
church,  and  they  actually  had  no  extent  except  over  the 
conventual  churches  of  this  party,  who  appear  to  have 
been  not  Roman,  but  African  Catholicks :  and  the 
whole,  far  from  serving  the  practice  of  infant-bapti  sm 
tends  to  prove  that  for  more  than  the  first  five  centuries 


260         THE    IIRST     ECCLESIASTICAL    CANOX,    &:C. 

infant- baptism  had  not  been  practised  in  Europe  even 
by  the  lowest  and  most  illiterate  Chiistians,  and  that  it 
was  not  appointed  to  be  practised  in  future,  except  in 
the  case  of  imminent  danger  of  death  :  and  it  hath  noth- 
ing to  do  with  vprinkling,  which  was  totally  unknown 
for  ages  after  this. 

These  seven  wise  men  of  Catalonia  do  not  seem, 
though  they  li\  ed  near  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  though 
tliey  correspcjnded  w  ith  and  were  visit jd  by  the  bishop 
t)f  Carthage,  a  successor  of  Cypiian,  to  have  known  any 
thing  cf  Cyprian's  letter  to  Fidus,  or  of  Augustine's 
council  of  Mela,  otherwise  their  canon  would  have  been 
quite  needless,  which  forms  a  strong  presumption,  either 
that  both  are  forgeries  of  later  ages,  or  that  being  atiend- 
ed  with  no  effects,  they  had  fallen  into  general  oblivion ; 
and  certainly  it  proves  that  they  had  not  the  lorce  of  law 
in  Spain. 

They,  who  suspect  that  these  sordid  churchmen  trad- 
-ed  in  the  salvation  of  sickly  infants,  for  which  purpose 
they  frighted  timorous  mothers  into  the  baptism  of  them, 
and  that  all  their  rules  of  baptizing  babes  proceeded  not 
from  benevolence  to  mankind,  but  were  mere  local  ex- 
pedients to  get  money  of  their  ignorant  neighbours,  will 
be  justified  by  observing,  that  the  next  time  the  case 
appears,  is  in  a  canon  of  a  council  at  Braga,  in  Portugal, 
about  fifty-fivc  years  after  this  at  Girona,  in  which  the 
priests  are  forbidden  to  extort  money  from  the  poor  for 
baptizing  their  infants,  which  practice  it  seems  had  oc- 
casioned delays  till  the  souls  of  the  infants  had  been 
lost  (4).  A  most  uncomfortable  religion,  and  highly- 
derogatory  from  the  glory  of  the  attributes  of  Almighty- 
God  !  It  is  utterly  incredible,  that  the  everlasting  state 
of  an  infant  should  be  left  to  fluctuate  on  such  precari- 
ous ground  :  and  in  the  present  case  it  looks  as  if  these 
counsellors  at  Girona  were  seven  poor  starved  African 
monks,  totally  destitute  of  education  and  patronage, 
contriving  to  pick  up  a  few  pence  to  procure  a  scanty 
supply  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  And  this  is  Concil- 
ium Gerundense,  quoted  with  so  much  parade  by 
Vossius  and  other  learned  men,  as  an  authority  to  bap- 
tize babes ! 

(4)  Concil.  Bracarensc  ili.  An.  572  . 


OP   THE  FIRST   LAW    IN   EUROPE,  &C.  261 

CHAP.  XXVI. 

OF  THE  FIRST  LAW  IN  EUROPE  FOR  BAPTIZING  BABES,  AN. 
7«9,  AND  THE  EFFECT  OF  IT. 

WHATEVER  Cyprian  and  Augustine  might  intend, 
the  one  by  advising  and  the  other  by  ordering  Christians 
to  baptize  babes,  or  however  such  a  practice  might  lurk 
in  a  few  obscure  places  among  monks  of  no  account,  it 
made  no  observable  progress  till  an  event  fell  out  in  the 
eighth  century,  which  gave  it  authority,  and  credit  for 
its  great  usefulness  to  despotical  princes.  In  the  eighth 
century  Pepin,  the  prosperous  usurper  of  the  throne  of 
France,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Charle- 
magne, who  was  first  king  of  France,  and  afterwards 
emperor  of  the  West,  an  unjust,  debauched,  and  bloody 
man.  It  was  the  policy  of  Pepin  to  keep  his  troopsemploy- 
edin  foreign  wars,  lest  they  should  engage  in  any  attempts 
at  home  to  restore  the  dethroned  royal  family,  and  Char- 
lemagne placed  his  glory  in  securing  the  unjust  power 
usurped  by  his  father,  and  in  completing  and  extending 
his  conquests.  For  these  purposes  chiefly  they  carried 
on  a  war  of  thirty  years  against  the  Saxons. 

The  Saxons,  at  that  time  Pagans,  inhabited  a  great 
part  of  Germany,  of  which,  two  circles  yet  bear  their 
name.  They  were  a  brave  nation,  and  were  passionately 
fond  of  freedom.  They  had  in  times  of  peace  no  prin- 
ces, but  in  times  of  war  they  created  dukes  to  conduct 
their  armies ;  and  at  this  time  they  were  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  celebrated  Widekind,  a  skilful  and  in- 
trepid general,  the  remote  ancestor  of  the  present  royal 
family  of  England. 

Charlemagne  was  resolved  either  to  sulodue  the  Sax- 
ons, or  utterly  to  exterminate  the  whole  nation  ;  but  he 
could  not  for  a  long  time  effect  his  purpose,  for  the  brave 
Widekind  always  found  resources,  and  defeated  his  de- 
signs. In  the  end  his  imperial  majesty  hit  on  a  method, 
which  disheartened  Widekind,  by  detaching  the  people 
from  him,  and  which  completely  put  an  end  to  the  war 
by  subduing  all  the  nation  to  the  imperial  yoke  of  bon- 
dage ( I ).  This  was  by  reducing  the  whole  nation  to 
the  dreadful  alternative,  either  of  being  assassinated  by 
the  troops,  or  of  accepting  life  on  condition  of  professing 

•'I)  Alberti  Cransii  SaKonia  Colonia  1574. 


262  OF  THE   FIRST  LAW  IN   EUROPJE, 

themselves  Christians  by  being  baptized,  and  the  severe 
laws  yet  stand  in  the  capitularies  of  this  monarch,  by 
which  they  were  obliged  on  pain  of  death  to  be  baptized 
themselves,  and  of  heavy  fines  to  baptize  their  children 
within  the  year  of  their  birth  (2).  Widekind,  a  long 
while  resolutely  refused  to  comply,  for  his  soul  was  too 
elevated  tamely  to  accept  a  religion,  which  obliged  him  to 
resign  his  darling  freedom,  and  to  act  the  part  of  a  tyrant 
to  his  own  children  ;  but  in  the  end  he  was  forced  reluc- 
tantly to  yield  to  superior  force.  In  this  unjust  and 
savage  manner  did  Charlemagne  subdue  the  Saxons,  the 
Frisians,  and  the  Huns,  to  the  profession  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion. 

His  imperial  majesty  conducted  the  affair  with  much 
political  circumspection.  He  consulted  all  the  eminent 
prelates  of  the  age,  and  his  chief  adviser  vvas  the  cele- 
brated Alvvin,  an  Anglo-Saxon,  abbot  of  Canterbury. 
Him  he  sent  for  out  of  England,  and  added  to  his  other 
preferments  the  government  of  three  rich  abbies,  St. 
Lupus,  St.  Jodocus,  and  Ferrara,  so  that  this  one  man 
liad  more  than  twenty  thousand  slaves  on  his  estates 
constantiv  at  work  for  him.  His  majesty  was  given  to 
understand  that  the  clergy  knew  a  better  way  of  taming 
mankind  than  war.  He  therefore  divided  the  whole 
country  into  convenient  districts,  founded  churches  and 
monasteries,  and  put  the  government  into  the  hands  of 
the  clergy  to  tame  the  people,  because  dukes  could  not 
manage  them.      Rex   septem  fundavit  in  ea  provincia 

(2)  Steph  Baluzii  Capituhv.  Reg.  Francor.  Tom.  i.  Karoli  M,  xxi.  A.  C. 
7'89.  Cip  8.  Si  qiiis  deinceps  in  gente  Saxonum  inter  eos  latens  non  bap- 
tizatus  se  abscondere  voluerit,  et  ad  baptismum  venire  contempserit,  pa- 
ganus  que  permanere  voluerit,  morte  moriatur. 

Cap.  19.  Placiiit  -  -  omnes  infantes  infra  annum  baptizentur.  Et  hoc  sta- 
tuimus,  ut  si  quis  infantem  infra  circulum  anni  ad  baptismum  offerre  con- 
tempserit, sine  consilio  vel  licentia  sacerdotis,  si  de  nobili  genere  fuerit^ 
centum  viginti  solidos  fisco  componat  ;  si  ingenuus,  sexaginta  ;  si  litus, 
Iriginta. 

TRANSLATION. 

Stephen  Baluslus'  Capitulary  of  the  xxi  of  Charlemagne  king  cf  France. 
In  the  year  of  Christ  789.  Vol.  i.  Chap  8.  If  any  unbaptized  Saxon 
shall  manifest  a  disposition  to  hide  away  among  his  countrymen,  and  re- 
fuse to  come  up  to  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  and  choose  to  remain  a  Pa- 
gan, let  liim  sufter  death. 

Chap.  19.  It  is  the  pleasure  of  the  king  to  ordain,  that  all  infants  shall 
be  baptized  within  a  year  of  their  birth.  And  we  decree,  that  if  any  one 
shall  refuse  to  offer  liis  child  lor  baptism  in  the  course  of  a  year,  without 
the  advice  and  approbation  ot  a  priest,  if  he  be  of  noble  blood,  he  shall 
forfeit  and  pay  into  the  king's  treasury,  the  sum  of  one  hundred  to  twenty 
shillings  ;  if  a  freeborn  citizen,  sixty  shillings  ;  if  a  peasant,  thirty.      [Ed. 


POR  BAPTIZING   BABES,  &C.  263 

ecclesias,  donans  regalia  pontificibus,  quod  intelligeret 
populum  infrenem  posse  religione  contineri,  armis  vero 
placare  non  posse  (3).  For  this  purpose  he  endowed 
many  religious  houses ;  he  gave  to  one  every  foot  of  land 
four  miles  round  it  every  way,  he  founded  bishopricks, 
which  have  since  become  principalities.  Osnaburgh  was 
the  first ;  in  brief,  he  hired  the  monkish  clergy  to  tame 
the  people,  and  these  rich  endowments  were  the  price 
at  which  the  priests  sold  the  liberties  of  mankind. 
What  in  the  art  of  government  could  be  a  finer  coup  de 
main  than  to  put  a  whole  nation  of  children,  within  a 
few  years  to  be  the  nation  itself,  into  the  hands  of  an 
artful  clergy,  who,  while  they  did  the  Emperor's  busi- 
ness, by  training  up  the  sons  of  freemen  in  habits  of  ser- 
vility, would,  by  their  own  idle  and  expensive  habits  of 
living,  forever  render  themselves  dependent  on  the 
crown  ?  It  was  with  exactly  such  views  that  the  Emper- 
or Constantine  had  formerly  hired  the  same  kind  of 
men  for  a  spiritual  militia ;  but  as  they  had  now  improv- 
ed the  trade  by  seizing  infants,  Charlemagne  had  the 
best  bargain. 

When  unbelievers  avail  themselves  of  these  events, 
and  raise  out  of  them  arguments  against  Christianity, 
they  ought  to  be  reminded  of  two  things  :  first,  that 
Catholicism  is  not  Christianity,  though  it  falsely  assumes 
the  name.  Is  pure  Christianity  an  engine  of  state,  inimi- 
cal to  the  natural  rights  of  mankind  ?  This  is  the  fair 
question,  and  not  whether  Catholicism  be,  for  it  is  grant- 
ed that  it  is  ;  and  on  this  very  account  it  proves  itself  not 
to  have  proceeded  from  Jesus,  the  friend  of  virtue,  and 
the  liberator  of  mankind.  It  should  also  be  observed, 
that  though  the  Catholicks  established  their  pretended 
Christianity,  by  fraud,  injustice,  and  murder,  yet  there 
were  other  Christians  at  that  time,  living  peaceably 
among  these  very  Saxons,  who  remonstrated  against 
such  violent  measures  of  enlarging  the  profession  of 
Christianity  ;  but  they  were  overpowered,  and  pronounc- 
ed hereticks  by  the  domineering  party.  (4) 

The  Anglo-Saxon  monks,  Willibald  and  others,  who 
understood  the  language  of  the  old  parent  state  in  Ger- 
many, from  which  their  ancestors  had  issued,  had  before 
this  time  endeavoured  to  make  proselytes  among  them  3 

(3)  Cranz,  Lib.  ii.  Cap,  xiv.         (4)  Willibaldi  mta.  c.  8. 


^64  Ot    THE   FIRST  LAW  IX  EUROP£ 

but  their  mummery  unsupported  by  power  had  not  met 
^vith  any  success  worth  mentioning  ;  but  now  that  the 
Emperor  wanted  such  men,  and  vast  estates  were  to  be 
obtained,  they  fled  thither  in  troops,  and  found  richer 
endowments  and  higher  titles  than  any  their  own  country 
could  afford.  They  were  graced  with  the  sounding  ti- 
tles of  a[X)stles  of  Germany,  and  they  did  the  Emperor's 
business  so  effectually,  that  the  people  durst  not  eat  their 
<vvvn  bacon  till  they  had  received  orders  from  Rome  how 
to  cook  it  (5)  Could  the  crown  pay  too  dearly  for  such 
a  complete  conquest  as  this  ? 

The  Goths  and  all  the  Gcrm.an  nations  were  extremely 
jealous  of  the  education  of  their  children,  and  suffered 
nothing  that  could  damp  the  ardour  of  their  minds,  de- 
press the  native  dignity  of  man,  or  lessen  that  passionate 
love  of  freedom,  which  the  generous  actions  of  their  an- 
cestors, models  ever  before  their  eyes,  tended  to  in- 
flame :  but  a  Catholick  education  taught  the  direct  con- 
trary, and  set  before  youths  no  other  models  than  saints, 
hollow  conjurers,  extingiiishers  of  reason,  and  every 
generous  sentiment,  the  meanest  drivellers  that  ever 
disgraced  the  species  of  man — witness  the  intolerable 
falsehoods,  with  which  in  the  sacred  name  of  the  God 
of  truth,  they  seduced  the  unsuspicious,  the  meannesses 
they  practised  to  ingratiate  themselves  with  patrons, 
and  the  unfeeling  manner  of  their  behaviour  to  their  de- 
pendents. 

The  clergy  managed  the  business  of  baptism  with  great 
dexterity.  Alwin  gave  the  clue,  and  all  understood  it. 
The  Emperor  had  addressed  himself  on  this  subject  to 
the  pope,  to  Odilbert,  archbishop  of  Milan,  to  Leidrad, 
bishop  of  Lyons,  and  others  of  eminence,  and  all  return- 
ed answers.  They  prudently  avoided  saying  one  word 
on  the  baptism  of  babes  or  the  case  o( force,  but  they 
dwelt  largely  on  the  ceremonies  of  baptism,  paiticularly 
the  necessity  of  trine  immersion  (G).     His  majesty  un- 

(5)  ZechAV.  pap.  ep.  142.  inter  epist.  Bonifacil. 

(G)  Alcuini   Lib    de  divin  offic.     Be  Sabbat.    Sanct-  paschx.     Sacerdos 
baptis::il  cum   sub   trina  mersione  tantum  sanctatn  triniiatem  semel  invo- 
cando,  ita  dicens,  et  ego  te  baptizo  in  nomine  patris,  et  mergat  semel  :  et 
filii,  et  mergat  interum  :  et  spiritus  sancti,  et  mergat  tertio 
TRANSLATION. 

Akvifis  hook  on  the  divitie  offices  Concerning  Ho'y  Easter  Sunday.  The 
priest  shall  baptize  the  candidate  bv  trine  immersion,  wjth  only  one  invo- 
cation of  the  Holy  Trinity,  saying  as  follows  :  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  immersing  him  once,  and  of  the  Son,  i  Timersing  him  a  second 
time,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  immersing  him  a  third  time.  [£</. 


FOR    BAPTIZING    BABES,   &C.  265 

derstood  them,  and  amply  rewarded  their  dntif.ilness. 
In  return  they  canonized  him  for  a  saint.  This  man's 
history,  sajsM.  Voltaire,  isoneol  tlie  stroi  p:estptO'  fsthat 
success  sanctifies  injustice,  and  conkrs  silory.  "This 
man,  who  -hed  such  a  lorrent  of  blood,  robbed  his  i.eph- 
ews  of  their  patrimony,  and  was  suspected  ot  iicest, 
has  by  the  church  of  Rome,  been  ranked  among  the 
number  ot  her  saints  (7)." 

The  Emperor,  in  a  charter  of  endowment  ^iven  to 
the  church  at  Bremen,  assigns  the  reasons  of  his  whole 
conduct  in  this  affair.  He  says  that  neither  his  a' ces- 
tors  nor  himself  could  ever  tame  the  Saxons  by  war,  sem- 
per indomahiles and   that   they   could   not   be   kept 

under  by  arms  -  -  -  -but  were  conquered  by  ihf^  faith,  and 
might  be  bridled  by  religion,  and  as  the  scheme  suc- 
ceeded to  admiration,  the  example  was  followed  by- 
other  princes,  both  of  that  and  succeeding  ages  ;  and 
Denmark,  Sweden,  and  almost  all  the  northern  parts  of 
Europe,  were  brought  within  the  pale  of  the  church  by 
the  same  means.  By  this  scheme  a  revolution  in  favour 
ofhfe,  though  not  of  liberty,  v^as  produced  in  the  barba- 
rous art  of  war,  and,  though  many  were  slain,  yet  many 
were  allowed  to  redeem  the  lives  of  themselves  and  their 
children,  by  submitting  to  baptism.  It  was  better  too  for 
conquerors;  for  instead  of  exterminating  VAhole  tribes  as 
they  had  been  used  to  do,  by  this  mode  they  reserved  a 
people  to  raise  a  revenue,  though  they  filled  the  world 
with  slaves  ;  but  Provider-ce  hath  so  constituted  the 
world  that  the  ills  of  it  in  time  effect  their  ow  is  cure,  as  the 
history  of  one  such  train  ot  events  in  the  single  province  of 
Pomerania  will  serve  to  shew. 

In  those  times  Poland  extended  one  way  from  the 
Carpathian  mountains  to  the  Baltick,  and  crosswise  the 
other  way  from  Silesia  and  Ducal  Prussia  to  the  further 
arm  of  the  river  Nieper,  the  ancient  Eorysihenes,  which 
rises  in  a  morass  in  the  forest' of  Wolkonski,  ajid  run- 
ning past  Smolenski,  discharges  itsell  into  thi  Black  Sea  : 
within  this  vast  tract  were  included  the  kin!;^dom  of  Po- 
land properly  so  called,  the  great  duchy  of  Lithuania,  the 
provinces  of  Samogittia,  Courland,  Livonia,  part  of  Rus- 
sia, Polish  Prussia,  and  a  part  of  Pomerania.  Some  of 
these  districts  were  united  to  Poland  by  conquest,  others 

(7)  Add'aiom  to  Gen,  Hist. 

34 


^66  OF    THE   FIRST   LAW   IN    EUROPE 

by  marriages,  alliances,  and  conditions  of  electing 
the  Dukes  and  Vaivoydes  to  the  throne  of  Poland, 
and  some  united  themselves  to  Poland  for  protection. 
It  is  impossible  to  trace  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
these  provinces  with  a  proper  degree  of  precision, 
for  they  had  no  records  till  late.  The  inhabitants 
make  their  first  appearance  wild  and  roving,  then  traf- 
ficking and  fighting,  contended  for  as  property  by  all 
their  neighbours,  sometimes  emerging  into  liberty,  and 
then  subdued  into  slavery,  and  late,  very  late,  paying 
any  attention  to  real  Christianity  (  ,) 

Pomerania  was  anciently  called  the  country  of  the 
Ulmerugians.  The  Goths,  who  inhabited  Scandinavia 
comprising  the  present  Sweden,  Norway,  Lapland  and 
Finnmark,  migrated  hither,  under  the  conduct  of  Berig, 
one  of  their  chieftains,  who  drove  out  the  inhabitants, 
and  divided  the  lands  among  his  followers  (9).  In  the 
twelfth  century  that  part  of  Pomerania  next  Poland,  was 
inhabited  by  a  fierce  people  who  lived  by  hunting,  fish- 
ing, and  plundering  their  neighbours.  On  one  side,  the 
country  lay  all  along  the  sea  coast,  bounded  by  the 
Baltick,  and  it  was  therefore  called  by  the  Sclavonians 
Pommorizania,  from  Pom  along-side,  and  Morizania 
the  sea.  This  part  on  the  coast  was  inhabited  by  mer- 
chants in  a  civilized  state.  On  the  opposite  side  it  was 
divided  from  Poland  by  a  vast,  and  almost  impenetrable 
forest,  thick,  dark,  and  full  of  all  manner  of  noxious 
animals  and  reptiles.  Through  this  forest  the  Pomera- 
nian inhabitants  of  the  side  next  Poland,  by  paths  known 
only  to  themselves,  used  to  sally  out  and  plunder  Poland. 
Boleslaus,  then  duke  of  Poland,  often  repelled  them, 
and  several  times  made  treaties  of  peace  with  them, 
which  they  observed  as  long  as  it  suited  their  conve- 
nience. At  length  he  invaded  the  whole  country,  pun- 
ished the  innocent  with  the  guilty,  and  by  killing  eigh- 
teen thousand  of  them  in  battle,  and  by  carrying  away 
eight  thousand  prisoners,  he  obliged  the  remainder  to 
accept  such  conditions  of  peace  as  he  offered,  and  one 
was,  that  they  should  renounce  idolatry,  and  be  baptiz- 
ed into  the  Christian  religion,  to  which  they  reluctantly 
consented  ( I ). 

(8)  Joannis  Boteri  Polonia  Descriptlo. 

(9)  Universal  History.  Vol.  vii.  Book  4.  Sect.  2. 

(I)  MatthiK  dq  Michovise  Chronica  Folonorum.     Lib.  i.  Cap.  2. 


FOR  BAPTIZING   BABES,   &C.  267 

Boleslaus  could  not  easily  find  missionaries,  for  no 
teacher  in  Poland  was  VAiiling  to  undertake  this  tbrmi- 
dable  work  ;  however,  he  sent  a  letter  to  a  Swede,  named 
Otho,,  who  was  then  bishop  of  Bamberg,  and  whom  he 
had  formerly  known  in  his  father's  court,  where  Oiho 
had  spent  a  part  of  his  youth  in  teaching  literature  and 
religion.  He  informed  him  he  had  been  three  years 
trying  to  procure  missionaries,  but  that  none  of  his 
bishops  or  priests  were  qualified  for  such  a  service. 
He  begged  him  to  assist  this  pious  undertaking,  and 
offered  to  bear  all  his  expenses,  to  furnish  him  with  in- 
terpreters and  assistants,  and  every  thing  necessary  to 
secure  his  safety,  and  the  success  of  the  enterprise  (2), 
The  bishop  accepted  the  invitation,  and  set  out  preced- 
ed by  guides,  attended  with  guards,  and  accompanied 
with  three  of  the  duke's  chaplains,  some  inter[>reters, 
and  an  officer  of  the  ami}-,  named  Paulicius,  a  bold  arid 
eloquent  man,  who  understood  the  language,  and  could 
occasionally  preach  (3).  Six  days  it  took  them  to  trav. 
el  through  the  woods  and  marshes,  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  they  found  the  cuts  and  marks 
in  the  trees  by  which  their  road  lay.  The  gloom  of 
the  forest,  the  chattering  of  cranes  and  other  fowls, 
the  hissing  of  serpents,  the  various  noises  of  all  sorts  of 
quadrupeds,  the  sight  of  a  thousand  vegetable  forms, 
which  they  had  never  seen  before,  the  novelty  and  the 
variety  of  the  scene,  served  to  divert  the  fear  of  being 
destroyed  by  wild  beasts,  or  scalped  by  some  lurking 
rangers  of  the  forest.  However,  they  arrived  safe,  and 
addressed  themselves  to  the  work  for  which  they  had 
undertaken  the  journey. 

Otho  reaped  the  first  fruits  of  an  approaching  harvest  in 
some  villages  which  had  been  desolated  by  war,  but  where 
the  inhabitants  had  begun  again  to  assemble  and  settle. 
Here  he  first  instructed,  and  then  baptized  about  30.  He 
travelled  all  through  the  country  teaching  and  baptizing, 
and  Paulicius  rendered  him  the  most  essential  services. 
After  his  return  into  Germany  he  heard  that  many  had 
apostatized  in  his  absence :  but,  nothing  terrified,  he 
returned  again,  surmounted  all  difficulties,  and  saw  his 

(2)  Henrici  Canlsii  Lectioncs  antique.  Vita  Ottonis,   Inter  monumentet  Ja- 
.  cobi  Basnagii.  Tom.  iii.  pars.  ii. 

(3)  Vita  Ottonis  ut  mp. 


268  OF   THE  FIRST  LAW  IN  EUROPE,  hc, 

labours  crowned  vvith  success.  Idolatry  was  rejected, 
Christianity  professed,  and  a  bishop  settled  among  tlie 
Pomerarians.  Otho's  method  of  baptizing  was  this. 
Such  as  had  agreed  to  become  Christians  he  put  into  the 
state  of  Catechumens,  and  kept  them  seven  days  under 
tuition.  Then  a  fast  was  observed  for  three  days.  Pre- 
paratory to  baptism,  he  caused  very  large  tubs  to  be 
made,  and  let  into  the  ground,  and  filled  with  water. 
He  provided  three  of  these  baptisteries  in  each  place, 
one  lor  tl»e  men,  another  for  the  women,  and  the  third  for 
the  chiki ren,  and  surrounded  each  with  curtains  like  a 
tent.  When  he  came  to  biiptize,  he  placed  the  men  all 
on  one  side,  and  the  vvomen  on  the  other,  then  he  preach- 
ed, and  taught  t  em  to  receive  the  ordir»ance,  singing, 
j4s  the  hart panteth  after  the  ivaier  brooks,  so  panteth  my 
soul  after  thee,  0  God  My  soul  thirstcihf(>r  Cod,  for  the 
Ifving  God :  ixshen  shall  I  come  and  appear  bejore  God  ?  At 
the  end  of  the  hymn,  they  vvent  one  by  one  uithin  the 
curtail  o  accompanied  by  assistants,  who  helped  them  to 
undress.  This  done,  they  were  baptized  naked  by  trine 
immersion.  As  so(in  as  they  came  out  of  the  water 
their  assistants  dressed  them,  and  they  canie  from  be- 
hind the  curtains  to  make  room  for  more.  The  histo- 
rian observes,  the  whole  was  cor.ducted  w  ith  so  much 
order,  and  with  so  much  cleanness,  decency,  and  hu- 
manity, (for  O; ho  had  ordered  fires  on  account  of  the 
excessive  cold)  that  the  whole  did  great  honour  to  this 
apostle  of  Pomerania.  The  administrator  did  not  stand 
in  the  water,  but  behind  a  curtain  on  the  side  of  the 
baptistery.  When  he  heard  any  one  come  down  the 
steps  into  the  water,  he  put  the  hanging  aside,  and 
leaning  over,  the  rim  of  the  tub  being  about  the  height 
of  his  knee,  he  immersed  the  person  in  water,  pro- 
nouncing the  usual  words. 

The  very  learned  and  faithful  James  Basnage  makes 
several  remarks  on  this  authentick  monument.  First, 
he  observes,  that  Otho  departed  from  the  ancient  practice 
in  regard  to  the  time  allotted  to  prepare  these  candidates 
for  baptism  liy  instruction.  He  took  only  seven  days  : 
but  the  primitive  church,  in  a  council  at  Constantinople, 
had  ordered  that  catechumens  should  be  kept  a  long 
time  in  that  state  before  they  were  admitted  .to  baptism  ; 
and  that  they  had  been  detained  under  tuition  several 


THE  CAUSES  OF   THE   EXTENSIVE,  hc,  269 

months,  and  even  whole  years  before  baptism.  Second- 
ly, he  observes,  that  Theophylact  is  mistaken,  when  he 
says,  the  ancient  custom  of  administering  baptism  on 
certain ^.v^^  days  was  disused  in  his  time,  that  is,  about 
the  year  eleven  hundred  ;  for  here  is  an  instance  to  the 
contrary.  Otho  in  this  twelfth  century  directs  the  Po- 
meranians to  liave  baptism  administered  to  their  children 
only  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide.  Thirdly,  here  is  an 
instance  of  baptizing  in  ivooden  tubs  or  troughs  in  the 
open  air,  not  in  a  church,  nor  in  marble  or  stone,  as 
some  had  ordered.  Fourthly,  here  is  an  example  of  be- 
ing baptized  naked,  in  different  baptisteries  for  the  sake 
of  decency  :  agreeable  to  several  things  said  by  fathers 
and  councils  on  the  subject.  Fifthly,  here  is  a  jjroof 
that  baptism  continued  to  be  administered  by  immersion 
so  late  as  the  twelfth  century.  To  these  he  adds  many 
more  useful  observations,  like  all  his,  founded  on  the 
best  authority,  and  made  without  any  disguise. (4) 


CHAP.  XXVII. 

THE   CAUSES    OF   THE    EXTENSIVE    PROGRESS    OF     THE    BAPTISM 
OF    BABES. 

THE  baptism  of  babes  did  not  more  suit  the  interests 
of  conquerors  than  it  did  that  of  other  orders  of  men, 
and  indeed  there  never  was  a  time  since  the  world  be- 
gan so  well  disposed  to  forward  this  business,  as  the  cen- 
turies immediately  following  the  eighth.  Here  were  six 
principal  circumstances  highly  favourable  to  the  cause, 
beside  inferior  motives,  which  all  had  their  weight  : 
the  state  of  the  people — the  houses  of  the  monks — the 
doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  times — the  great  demand 
for  children — the  prosperity  of  individuals — and  the 
necessities  of  the  clergy.  Each  deserves  a  moment's 
attention,  and  the  last  article  a  little  more. 

The  State  of  the  People.  Nothing  could  be  more 
deplorable  than  that  servitude,  in  which  all  Europe  was 
held.  Even  the  great  were  in  bondage  under  the  feudal 
system  to  some  superior,  and  the  prince  himself  was 
constantly  in  danger  of  his  life.     The  common  people 

(4)  Easnag.  Obs.  in  Ottonis  vitam.  iv.      Plurima  sunt  circa  baptismi 
administrationem,  qu«  nostris  sxculis  non  conveniant,  &c. 


270  THE    CAUSES    OF    THE    EXTENSIVE 

were  absolutely  slaves,  having  no  property,  and  claiming 
no  rights.  The  highest  right,  that  of  judging  and  acting 
in  religion  for  thein^eives,  nobody  thought  of.  One 
midnight  of  impenetrable  darkness  covered  them,  and 
they  knew  no  religious  duty  but  that  of  submission  to 
the  priests,  whose  exclusive  province  religion  was  sup- 
posed to  be.  So  late  as  just  before  the  Reformation, 
when  the  clergy  began  to  condescend  to  speak  to  the 
laity,  their  language  was  that  of  lords  issuing  orders  to 
slaves,  and  not  of  rational  men  addressing  reasons  to 
other  ratior.al  men  to  persuade.  This  was  their  diction  : 
*'  Ye  that  be  ley  peple — ^ye  shall  knowe  and  understande 
— that  there  be  ten  commandements  of  our  Lord  God — 
the  fourth  commandementis,  thou  shalt  honour  thy  father 
and  thy  mother,  that  is,  to  wit,  thy  natural  father  and  thy 
natural  mother,  thy  godfader  and  thy  godmoder,  thy 
gosuy  father  and  thy  gostly  mother.  Thy  gostly  father 
is  the  pope,  thy  bishop,  thy  curate,  and  thy  gostly  moth- 
er is  holy  church,  in  whom  thou  were  regenerate  unto 
gostly  life. — Furthermore  ye  shal  knowe  and  under- 
stande, that  there  be  seven  sacraments  of  holy  churche — 
the  first  is  baptyme,  or  Christendome,  which  putteth 
away  origynal  syn — nowe  all  be  borne  in  origynal  syn — 
and  can  nat  be  saved  by  the  ordynate  lawes  of  God,  un- 
to the  tyme  that  this  origynal  syn  be  put  away,  and 
grace  gotten  unto  our  soules,  which  is  now  done  by  this 
sacrament  of  baptyme  or  Christendome. — This  ought 
nat  to  be  ministred  but  b}'  a  preest,  excepte  case  of  ne- 
cessitye,  and  than  every  man  and  woman  may  mynistre 
it — if  suche  case — happe  unto  any  of  you,  than  ye  shall 
saye  with  good  entent  on  this  wyse.  I  christen  the  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Gost.  And  whiles  ye  be  sayeng  these  words,  ye  sliall 
caste  water  upon  the  chylde,  or  els  put  the  child  unto 
the  water,  and  than  doute  ye  nat,  but  that  childe  receyv- 
eth  sufficiently  this  sacrament  of  baptyme."(l)  Thus 
they  were  ordered,  and  they  knew  it  was  at  their  peril 
to  disobey  orders.  Could  such  a  people  choose  whether 
their  children  should  be  baptized  ? 

The  houses  of  the  monks.     The  monks  and  nuns  were 
plausible,  shrewd  people.     Their  houses  were  comforta- 

(1)  Stella  Clericorum.  Wynkyn  de  Worde  Oct.  20,  1531.— Curci  Clerica- 
lis.  Thomas  Petyt.  ISi'Z.—Exoiieratorium  Curatorum.  Thomas  God- 
iray,  &c. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.    271 

ble  habitations,  and  all  the  little  learning  of  the  times 
lay  there,  so  that  they  educated  whole  nations  ;  and  as 
children  are  ductile  materialb,  the  maxims  of  the  monks 
took  full  possession  of  their  minds,  and  the  clergy  estab- 
lished their  absolute  dominion  over  them  with  the 
utmost  ease. 

The  first  christian  monks  retired  from  society,  not 
to  consume  life  in  an  unprofitable  idleness  ;  but  to  give 
themselves  wholly  up  to  exercises  of  piety  and  acts 
of  benevolence  (2).  For  these  purposes  they  devoted 
one  part  of  their  time  to  labour  for  their  own  support  : 
another  to  exercises  of  private  and  social  piety  :  a  third 
to  the  study  of  the  holy  scriptures  :  and  a  fourth  to  acts 
of  real  or  pretended  benevolence,  one  of  which  was  in- 
structing the  ignorant,  especially  children,  in  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Catholick  religion  (3).  They  taught  them  to 
read  and  sing,  and  gave  them  victuals  and  clothes  for 
learning  (4).  They  prayed,  preached,  and  held  confer- 
ences in  their  own  houses,  and  whoever  would  might 
attend  (5).  They  went  out  on  certain  days,  and  taught 
by  reading,  preaching,  and  catechizing  in  adjacent  villa- 
ges (6).  They  kept  schools  of  two  sorts,  the  one  of  in- 
fants and  boys,  who  lived  in  the  monasteries,  and  the 
other  of  day  scholars  (7).  They  took  some  infants  in 
without  any  gratuity.  They  received  odiers  by  an  ob- 
lation of  the  parents,  who  by  deeds  duly  executed  con- 
veyed both  the  children  and  estates  to  support  them  to 
the  houses  (8).     They  procured,  and  sometimes  bought 

(2)  HerlbertI  Rosweydi.  D.  Hieron.  Historia.  Eremetica.  Antiuerp'tx  1628, 
-  -  -  -  Pere  Hippolyte  Helyot.   Hi^toire  des  Ordres  Motiastiques.  Paris.  1714,  &c. 

(3)  J.  Mabillon.  Traite  des  etudes  Monastiques.  p.  14.  18. 

(4)  Joan.  BoUandi,  God.  Henschenii,  Danielis  Papebtocliii  Acta  Sane- 
torum.  Jan  i.  Vit.  S.  Giilielmi  Abbat.  Divion. 

(5)  Mabillon  ubi  sup.  p   14.  (6)  Ibid.  pag.  15.  vit.  Pacome. 

(7)  Bolland.  vbi  sup.  Jan.  i. 

(8)  Mabillon.  Vet.  Analect.  Tom.  iii.  pag.  473.  Be  oblatione  puerorwnt, 
in   monasteriis.      Antiquus   est   offerendorum   in   ecclesiis   &  monasteriis 

puerorum  mos ex  oriente in  occidentem  invectus.     In  esemplunr> 

praeivit  in  veteri  testamento  factum.  Annx  matris  Samuelis,  quern  matev 
necdum  conceptum  Deo  addixit.  Use  forma  inde  christianos  mjinavit,  S.- 
primum  quidcm  ad  gnaecos Ibid.  Tom.  ii.  pag.  530. 

TRANSLATION. 
Mabillon's  Account  of  the  ancient  servants  of  religious  houses.     Vol.  iii. 
p.  4:73.      On  the  offering  of  children   to  the  monasteries     There  was  an  an- 
cient custom  of  offering  children  to  churches  and  monasteries. it  a- 

rose  in  the  east  —  -and  progressed  westward.  It  was  founded  on  the 
example  of  Hannah's  dedicating  her  son  Samuel  to  the  Lord  before  he 
was  conceived.  This  form  of  dedication,  which  indeed  originated  among 
the  Greeks,  has  been  received  and  practised  by  christians  generally.  [_Ed. 


272  THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  EXTENSIVE 

the  clilldren  of  Pagans,  and  after  they  had  instructed 
and  baptized  them,  they  sent  them  to  instruct  their 
tribes,  so  that  sometimes  youths  became  godfathers  to 
their  own  jjarents  (9).  In  all  countries,  and  at  all  times, 
they  devoted  themselves  to  the  education  of  children, 
and  so  acquired  the  tide  of  Fathers,  which  was  givea 
to  them  by  general  consent,  and  which  continues  to  be 
given  to  their  successors  to  this  day. 

Learned  Father  Mabillon  adds  that  in  the  fifth  centu- 
ry children  were  baptized  at  six  years  of  age  (l).  That 
the  njonks  did  baptize  in  monasteries  is  certain,  for 
there  are  many  such  baptisms  on  record,  and  hence 
it  is  that  a  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist  is 
found  in  many  conventual  churches,  as  in  those  of  Glas- 
tonbury, Westminster  and  others  (2).  It  is  probable 
these  chapels  were  erected  on  the  spot  where  baptisteries 
had  been,  for  this  was  generally  the  case  in  the  churches 
abroad.  There  are  laws  to  oblige  monks  to  destroy 
their  baptisteries,  and  to  oblige  them  to  present  their 
Catechumens  to  the  bishops  for  baptism  (3).  Hence 
came  the  practice  of  confirmation  at  baptism,  if  the 
bishop  baptized,  and  after  it  by  the  bishop,  if  others  had 
baptized  (4).  This,  which  was  an  appendage  of  adult 
baptism,  meaning  by  adults  all  who  made  a  profession 
of  their  own  faith,  how  young  soever  they  were,  fell  into 
disuse  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Charlemagne,  when 
adult  baptism  was  left  off  by  some  part  of  the  Catholick 
church. 

The  first  monks  therefore  took  children  to  prepare  for 
baptism  by  instruction ;  but  the  latter  having  become 
extremely  rich  by  the  estates  conveyed  to  their  houses 
along  with  children  pensioned  there,  they  left  off"  to  la- 
bour and  to  instruct  for  baptism,  and  began  to  enjoy 
themselves,  whence  proceeded  luxury  and  innumerable 
abuses,  v\hich  ended  in  a  resumption  of  their  charters, 
and  of  course  the  dissolution  of  their  houses. 

The  doctrine  of  the  times,  as  far  as  it  regarded  infant 
baptism,  was  that  of  original  sin,  and  the  inevitable  de- 

(9)  Bollnnd.  ut  sup.  Jan.  xv.  S   Rabulus. 

(1)  Mabillon.  Tiaite,  ijfc.  ut  sup.  pag.  391.  Bapteme  est  differejusqu'a 
la  sixieme  aimee. 

(2)  Ibid.  p.  4fi2. 

(3)  D/vi  Gregorii  pap<e  opera.  Lib.  ii.  Epist.  Ivi.  Cap..xcviii.  Secundino 
Ep'scopo. 

(4j  Vicecom.  Oh^nat.  Eccles.  Vol,  j.  Lib.  v.  Cap.  xxxil. 


PROGRESS  OF   THE   J3APTISM  OF   BABES.  '2.1  o 

struction  of  all  that  died  unbapiized.  This  was  depict- 
ed in  all  the  horrible  shapes  imaginable  ;  and  whether 
the  doctrine  vyere  true  or  ialse,  it  was  the  only  theologic- 
al base,  on  which  it  pretended  to  rest.  The  masterb  ap- 
pealed to  experience,  and  as  the  pupils  felt  their  natures 
revolt  at  the  incredible  tales  told  them,  and  the  unneces- 
sary duties  enjoined  them,  they  concluded  themselves 
were  depraved  by  nature.  Thus,  when  a  bo^  felt  him- 
self disposed  to  doubt  the  truth  of  a  miracle,  which  he 
was  told  without  evidence  the  Loid  Abbot  had  per- 
formed, or  to  disobey  the  orders  of  an  c^ld  tutor 
by  clinging  to  his  warm  bed  at  midnight  instead  of 
rising  at  the  sound  of  a  bell  to  chant  a  Christmas 
carol    with   the  choir   in  the   chapel,    he    was   taught 

to   consider  these  as  workings  ot  inbred  sin 

proofs  that  wiihout  baptism  he  would  have  b  en  damn- 
ed  had  he  died  in  infancy.  He  did  not  know  that 
he  was  training  up  to  servility  and  credulity,  which, 
however  unnatural  to  a  rational  being,  were  convenient 
to  those  who  were  in  power. 

The  discipline.,  both  of  private  schools,  and  the  whole 
hierarchy  was  obedience  to  the  orders  of  superiors. 
Submission  to  them  was  service  to  God.  The  whip 
and  the  rod  were  applied  to  youth,  and  mortifying  pe- 
nances to  men.  How  was  it  possible  a  spirit  of  inquiry- 
should  flourish  under  such  unfavourable  circumstances  t 

The  demand Jor  children  was  'Dery  great.  Procession- 
ing was  the  chief  show,  and  singing  the  chief  service  of 
the  Roman  church  ;  and  the  chapels  of  kings  and  noble- 
men, cathedral,  conventual  and  collegiate  churches,  had 
all  choirs  of  singing  boys.  None  could  be  admitted  in- 
to these  till  after  baptism,  and  to  these  places  the  poor 
were  every  where  eager  to  make  friends  to  prefer  their 
children.  A  good  voice  was  sure  to  make  its  fortune, 
and  at  any  rate  it  was  a  comfortable  provision  for  the 
children,  and  a  great  rehef  to  their  parents.  The  num- 
ber of  children  employed  in  this  way  is  almost  incredi- 
ble ;  there  were  lately  at  least  four  thousand  in  the  single 
kingdom  of  France,  and  no  doubt  the  constitution  was 
well  devised  to  conciliate  the  poor  to  the  practice. 
Hospitals  and  charity-schools  founded  and  supported  by- 
guilds,  all  under  the  direction  of  monkish  cltrgy,  also 
35 


274  THE   CAUSES  OI-    THE   EXTENSIVE 

contributed  to  make  the  people  easy  under  the  same 
system. 

Moreover  the  success  of  some  served  to  dazzle  the 
eyes  of  mankind.  From  the  lowest  state  of  indigence 
many  were  seen  yearly  rising  into  wealth,  dignity,  ease 
and  power  ;  and  it  is  no  wonder,  as  infant  baptism  was 
the  only  door  which  opened  to  all  the  preferments  of  the 
church,  that  all  orders  of  men  should  press  their  families 
2n.  The  maxims  of  a  government  exercising  the  heav- 
iest  penalties,  and  holding  forth  the  greatest  rewards, 
could  not  but  prosper,  and  sit  easy  on  the  bulk  of  the 
people  in  any  nation  of  depraved  mankind.  The  wonder 
is,  not  that  ecclesiastical  tyranny  triumphed  so  long, 
but  that  there  ever  should  be  found  virtue  enough  among 
Hien  to  dissolve  the  well  concerted  system  of  corruption 
and  oppression,  and  set  the  sons  of  bondage  free. 

What  more  than  any  thing  else  contributed  force  to  the 
practice  was  the  necessitous  condition  of  the  inferior  clergy. 
The  law  obliged  them  not  to  marry,  but  they  had  not  the 
fewer  children  for  that ;  and  where  the  law  of  Charle- 
magne enforcing  the  baptism  of  babes  within  the  year 
had  no  operation,  the  dissipation  of  the  clergy  produced 
the  same  effect,  as  a  transient  view  of  only  Italy  in  the 
tenth  and  lower  centuries  will  clearly  prove. 

Dr.  Mosheim,  speaking  of  the  tenth  century,  says, 
"  the  history  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs,  that  lived  in  this 
century,  is  a  history  of  so  many  monsters,  and  not  of 
men,  and  exhibits  a  horrible  series  of  the  most  flagitious, 
tremendous,  and  complicated  crimes,  as  all  writers,  even 
those  of  the  Romish  communion,  unanimously  con- 
fess  The  corruptions  of  the  clergy  were  deplorable 

beyond  all  expression" '*but,"  adds  he,  "the  pro- 
found ignorance  and  stupidity,  that  were  productive  of 
so  many  evils  in  this  century,  had  at  least  this  advan- 
tage attending  them,  that  they  contributed  much  to  the 
tranquillity  of  the  church,  and  prevented  the  rise  of  new 
sects  and  new  commotions  of  a  religious  kind."  How  ! 
a  church  of  monsters,  living  in  tranquillity  in  the  practice 
of  the  most  complicated  crimes,  amoi  g  a  people  whose 
profound  stupidity  iurnished  them  with  the  advantage  of 
not  being  questioned  on  the  article  of  religion  !  And 
what  interest  have  Protestants  in  such  inonstrous  ad- 
vantages as  these  ;  or  by  what  arguments  can  such  his- 
torians justify  the  Reformation  ?  Mobheim,  however,  is 


PROGRESS  OF   THE   BAPTISM  OF  BABES.  275 

not  singular  in  this  mode  of  writing  ;  even  the  great 
Muratori  blesses  himself  that  the  internal  state  of  the 
church  in  these  bad  times  was  not  troubled  with  heresy : 
as  if  there  were  any  heresies  worse  than  adultery  and 
murder  (5)  ! 

Historians  call  this  the  illiterate,  the  iron  century  :  but 
if  this  character  be  understood,  as  it  ought  to  be  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  it  is  no  description  at  all,  for  every  age 
till  that  of  the  Reformation  was  illiterate  in  that  church  : 
and  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  were  more  so  than  this. 
The  Greeks,  v/ho  were  themselves  greatly  declined,  de- 
spised the  church  of  Rome  (6).  The  patriarch  Photius 
says,  they  were  "a  set  of  men,  sprung  outof  tlie  dark- 
ness of  the  West,  who  had  corrupted  all  things  by  their 
ignorance,  and  had  put  a  finishing  hand  to  their  impiety 
by  altering  the  eastern  creeds."  Luitprand,  bishop  of 
Verona,  who  was  sent  in  this  century  by  the  Emperors 
of  the  West  ambassador  to  Constantinople,  and  who 
published  an  account  of  his  legation,  reports  much  of  the 
contemptuous  language,  which  the  Emperor  Nicephorus 
Phocas,  the  patriarch  Polyeuctes,  the  great  officers  of 
the  crown,  the  bishops,  and  others  bestowed  on  the  Ro- 
mans (7).  "  You  are  not  Romans,  said  they,  you  are  Lat- 
ins ;  your  pope,  if  he  be  a  pope,  is  a  wicked  foolish  fel- 
low ;  you  do  not  understand  councils  ;  your  chief  man 
was  Gregory,  the  dialogist ;  your  people  are  unqualified 
for  war  by  intemperance,  their  god  is  their  belly,  and 
with  them  timidity  goes  for  wisdom  and  coolness,  and 
their  courage  is  the  effect  of  drunkenness.  Constantine 
removed  the  seat  of  the  empire  and  the  senate  hither,  he 
left  nobody  at  Rome  but  mean  trades-folkes,  fish-men,  tav- 
ern-keepers, brokers^  a  low  vulgar  herd  of  slaves."  The 
Catholicks  allow  the  ignorance,  immorality  and  barba- 
rism of  their  church  in  those  times  :  but  they  say  for- 
eigners overwhelmed  them  with  ignorance,  and  barba- 
rism was  the  universal  character  of  the  times.  Noth- 
ing can  be  less  true  ;  for  arts,  sciences,  and  literature 
of  every  kind,  flourished  in  Spain  among  Mohamme- 
dans and  Jews;  and  their  mathematicians,  physicians 
and  philosophers  obtained  immortal  reputation.  Sci- 
ence flourished  also  at  Alexandria,  aucl  it  had  begun 

(5)  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  v.  Diss.  Ix. 

(6)  Voltaire's  General  History.  Chap.  xxi. 

(7)  Liiitprandi    Le^nt'w  ar/ Nicephorum  Pliocam /»i/>.  6o/wfaKf.^ro  Ot»- 
tonibus  Augustis  cty  Adelliaida. 


27^  THE  CAUSES  OF   THE   EXTENSIVE 

to  flourish  in  Italy  under  Theodorick,  and  would  cer- 
tainly have  continutd  to  do  so  had  not  the  misera- 
ble lust  of  dominion  excited  the  Catholick  clergy  to 
treate  divisions,  to  practise  crimes,  and  to  patronize 
vice,  the  parent  of  ignorance,  for  the  sake  of  arriving 
at  desjK)tism. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  tenth  century  the  church  of 
Rome  was  under  the  absolute  dominion  of  Theodora, 
daughter  of  a  Roman  senator,  and  notorious  for  her 
amours.  Tnis  lady  had  three  children,  Sergius,  The- 
odora, and  Marozic!  (8).  The  pontificate  was  theft 
a  rich  benefice,  and  Home  was  filled  with  crimes 
for  the  sake  of  obtaining  it.  On  the  death  of  Stephen 
V.  Formo^^us,  the  son  of  a  priest,  ai  d  Sergius  were 
candidates  (9).  The  party  of  Formosns  was  strongest, 
and  he  was  elected.  Sergius,  however,  persevered, 
and  within  a  very  little  vvhile  Formosus  and  seven  of 
his  successors  died,  and  Sergius  was  elected  pope(l). 
*' He  owed  his  election,  savs  Mr.  Voltaire,  entiiely  to 
his  mother  Theodora  (j)."  The  two  d  aughters  were 
more  infamous  than  their  mother  (3).  Marozia  was 
kept  by  Sergius,  and  during  his  pontificate  she  had  a 
son  by  him,  whom  they  educated  in  the  palace,  and  who 
was  afterward  pope.  At  the  death  of  Sergius,  the  tu  o  sis- 
ters, Marozia  and  Theodora,  put  Anastasius  into  the  pa- 
pal throne,  and  two  years  after  Lando,  another  of  the 
company.  Lando  held  his  honour  only  four  months  and 
some  days  ;  and  then  Theodora  gave  the  church  for  a 
pontiff'  another  of  her  gallants.  Jolin  X.  wlio  had  some 
time  before  been  made  by  the  mother  Theodora  arch- 
bishop of  Ravenna.  Some  writers  have  erroneously 
mistaken  him  for  the  son.  of  Sergius  (^).  Marozia  put 
in  one  Leo  :  but  he,  not  behaving  properly,  was  b}  her 
procurement  about  six  months  after  imprisoned,  and 
murdered.  Then  she  elevated  Stephen  vii.  to  the  chair ; 
and  two  years  after  she  made  John  xi.  pope  (5).     This 

(8)  Luitpvandi  De  rebus  Iviperatorum  et  Eegum,  Lib.  il.  Cap.  xlii. 

(9)  Amahirici  Auger   Fornwsi  vita. 

(1)  Pontif  I'iice.  Stephamis  vi- -Romanus- -Theodorus-  -Joannes  ix--Ben- 
cdictus  iv.-Lco-  v-  -Christophoiiis. 

(2)  General  History.  Chap,  xxv    Of  the  Papacy  of  the  tenth  century. 

(3)  Liutprandi  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xiii. 

(4)  F.  Ughelli  Ital.  Sacra.  Tom.  ii  Ravennates  Archiefiiso.  "Ep.  Iviii.  Joan- 
nes X. 

(5)  Luitprandi  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  xii.  politer  Joannei  papa  sit  captus,  cttsto- 
dixque,  in  qua  moriturus  erat,  tra  ditut. 


PROGRESS  OF   THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.  277 

John  was  her  own  son  by  pope  Sergius,  and  he  was 
hardly  twenty-four  years  of  age  when  he  was  elected. 
It  is  said  Marozia  poisoned  her  husband  Guy,  marquis 
of  Tuscany,  and  certain  it  is  she  married  his  brother 
Hugh,  king  of  Lombardy,  to  whom  she  promised  the  im- 
perial dignity.  Hugh  at  his  first  coming  to  Rotne  hap- 
pened to  affront  Alberick,  a  son  of  Marozia,  and  he  in  re- 
venge harangued  the  citizens,  headed  a  strong  party,  dvovt 
Hugh  out  of  the  city,  and  threw  his  mother  and  his 
brother  the  pope  into  prison,  where  the  latter  was  poison- 
ed, when  he  had  been  pope  a  little  more  than  four  years. 
The  next  four  pontifts  were  short  lived,  and  John  xii. 
who  was  a  grandson  of  Marozia,  was  elected  pope  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  (6).  His  pontificate  lasted  almost 
nine  years,  and  it  was  a  reign  of  nothing  but  debauch- 
ery. John  was  a  youth  of  incorrigible  profligacy,  and 
the  cardinals,  as  dissolute  as  he,  got  the  Emperor  Otho 
to  dethrone  him.  This  made  room  for  Leo  viii.  and 
John  continued  to  enjoy  his  vices  like  a  vagabond  in 
woods  and  deserts.  By  this  half  century  a  judgment 
may  be  formed  of  the  tranquillity  of  the  church,  which 
it  was  heresy  to  disturb.  It  would  be  easy  to  shew, 
that  other  Italian  prelates  too  well  resembled  these  at 
Rome  ;  for  in  this  sense  the  church  was  Catholick  :  but 
it  is  painful  to  repeat  the  vices  of  mankind,  and  a  record 
should  never  be  stained  with  them,  except  it  were  to 
promote  the  cause  of  virtue. 

Poisoning,  stabbing,  imprisoning,  putting  out  eyes, 
cutting  off  limbs,  smothering  between  mattresses,  con- 
fining in  dungeons,  assassinating  in  various  forms,  were 
the  crimes  of  the  great  :  but  debauchery  was  the  gener- 
al character  of  the  clergy,  the  monks,  and  the  common 
people.  There  are  three  undeniable  witnesses  of  this, 
Luitprandand  Ratherius,  bishops  of  Verona,  and  Atto, 
bishop  of  Vercelli.  They  say,  the  clergy  were  all 
adulterers,  or  something  worse,  so  ignorant  that  they 
could  not  repeat  the  belief  by  heart,  and  so  hungry  for 

(6)  Leo  VIII-  -Stephen  VIII-  -Martin  iiI--Agapetus  ii. 

Amalric  ut  sup.  Ipse  Johannes  papa  erat  magnus  venator,  et  homo  val- 
de  dissolutus,  sen  lubricus,  in  tanttim  qtiod  mulieres  frequentabat,  et  eas 
publice  tenebat. Pandulphus.  Iste  infelicissimus,  quod  pejus  sibi  est,  to- 
la m    vitam  suam  in  adulterio  et  vanitate  duxit Imperator  ab  errore  et 

nequitia  nunquam  potuit  earn  revocare.  -  -  -  -Ipse  iniquus  statim,  ut  de  im- 
perutoris  adventu  audivit,  Campaniam  fugiens,  ibi  in  silvis  et  montibus 
more  bestije  latuit. 


278  THE  CAUSES  OF  THE   EXTENSIVE 

money  to  support  their  pleasures,  that  the  rich  prelates 
monopolized  bishopricks,  and  the  poor  ones  sold 
churches,  chapels,  orders,  baptisteries,  any  thing,  for 
money  (7).  The  gentry,  too,  shared  the  spoil,  and 
purchased  or  seized,  till  some  houses  were  reduced  to 
bankruptcy  (8).  Probably  they  foreclosed  mortgages, 
and  they  would  not  desist,  althougli  the  monks  told 
them,  the  devils  would  bruil  their  souls  in  hell,  and  eat 
them  for  the  crime.  It  imv  seem  offensive  to  sober 
people  to  inquire  how  this  generation  administered 
baptism  :  for  what  have  such  as  they  to  do  widi  the  un- 
defiled  religion  of  Jtsus  ?  There  is,  however,  a  very 
natural  reason  for  the  inquiry.  The  priests  kept  mis- 
tresses, and  had  great  numbers  of  illegitimate  children. 
It  is  natural  to  ask  how  they  provided  for  them  ?  And 
the  true  answer  is,  they  pensioned  them  in  the  church. 
Here,  then,  is  a  cause,  which  hath  not  been  mentioned 
before,  for  pushing  forward  the  baptism  of  minors,  and 
for  transferring  it  to  babes.  That  this  is  more  than  a 
conjecture,  that  it  is  a  true  fact  supported  by  authentick 
evidence,  will  appear  by  a  brief  investigation  of  four  ar- 
ticles: that  unmarried  priests  had  many  natural  chil- 
dren ;  that  the  practice  of  the  times  was  to  baptize 
minors  on  their  own  profession  of  faith,  except  in  cases 
of  danger  ;  that  provision  for  the  children  of  priests  was 
a  case  of  great  difficulty  ;  and  that  the  rituals  were  so 
adjusted  as  to  relieve  it. 

The  first,  which  is  an  indelicate  article,  needs  no  proof. 
The  amours  of  the  popes  are  to  be  numbered  among 
the  least  of  their  sins  :  but  those  of  Gregory  vii.  by 
which  he  obtained  the  vast  estate  of  Mathilda,  countess 
of  Tuscany,  were  productive  of  innumerable  evils  to 
Italy  (9)  :  and  the  incestuous  practices  of  Alexander  vi. 
and  his  sons,  were  the  causes  of  infinite  crimes  ;  which, 
however,  prepared  the  way  for  the  Reformation. (I)  Il- 
literate prelates,  habited  in  purple  robes,  with  girdles  of 
gold  and  silver  embroidery,  converted  nunneries  into 
stews,  and  had  parks  and  mansions  for  seraglios.     Hcn- 

(7)  Luitprandl   De  reb.  Imp.  et  Reg De  Manasse  Arelatens.  Episc. 

De  Sergio  Hi. De  Joanne   Ravennate De   Theodora De 

Marozia De  yoseph.  Brixiano  Epiecopo •  Et  de  Waldoriis  episcopi 

iniquitatc,  is'c.    Tom.  i.  Parisiis.  1723. 

(8)  Abbonis  Sermo  v.     De  fundaniento  et  incremento  chfittianitaiis. 

(9)  Murat.  Script.  ItaL  Tom.  v. 

(1)  Alex.  vi.  vita  -  -  Alex.  Gordon's  Life  of  Alexander  vi* 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.     279 

ry,  bishop  of  Liege,  boasted  in  publick  that  he  had  been 
the  parent  of  fourteen  children  within  two  and  twenty 
months  (2).  A  bishop  of  the  tenth  century  says,  of  all 
debauched  Christians  the  Italians  were  the  worst  (3). 
Priests'  children  are  met  with  every  where  in  histories 
of  unmarried  clergy.  This  article,  then,  may  pass,  for 
such  disorders  were  notorious,  and  the  repetition  of 
them  is  unpleasant  to  sober  minds. 

That  it  was  the  practice  of  the  times  to  baptize 
minors  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide  on  t^ieir  own  profes- 
sion of  faith,  and  babes  only  in  case  of  danger  of  death, 
is  clear,  not  only  by  the  general  laws  of  the  Catholick 
church,  and  the  books  of  divine  offices  written  in 
those  times  by  monks  of  other  countries,  but  by  the  ex- 
press synodical  statutes  of  the  bishops  of  Italy  them- 
selves. One  example  may  suffice.  In  the  middle  of 
the  tenth  century,  Atto,  son  of  viscount  Aldegar,  was 
bishop  of  Verceli  (4).  He  was  a  man  of  merit,  who 
abhorred  the  vices  of  the  times,  and  took  pains  to  re- 
ibrm  his  diocese.  For  this  purpose  he  compiled  a  small 
code  of  church-law  consisting  of  one  hundred  canons. 
Unhappily,  the  Vatican  copy,  the  only  one  to  be  procur- 
ed, was  much  damaged,  and  the  copies  printed  from  it 
have  chasms.(5)  Several  of  these  canons  have  an  indi- 
rect relation  to  baptism,  and  there  are  four,  which  ex- 
pressly belong  to  it.  The  sixteenth  concerns  com- 
petents,  or  joint-petitioners  for  baptism,  and  it  requires 
the  clergy  to  deliver  to  them  the  creed  publickly  in  the 
church  the  Sunday  before  Easter.(6)  This  was  taken 
from  a  council,  which  had  been  heldat  Agde,  in  France, 
four  hundred  and  fifty  years  before.  (7)  ,  The  seven- 
teenth is  taken  from  a  decree  of  Pope  Gelasius,  and  it 
forbids  the  administration  of  baptism  at  all  times  except 
Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  except  in  case  of  danger  of 
death. (8)  The  eighteenth,  which  regulates  bap^sm,  is 
impertfct  through  the  damage  of  die  copy,  and  it  is  the 
more  vexniious,  because  it  seems  to  have  been  an  orig- 
inal of  the  composition  of  Atto  himself.     Of  what  re- 

(2)  Gresrorii  paps  x.  Epist.  ad  Henr.  Leodiens.  Episc. 

(3)  Ratherii  De  conteraptu  canonum  Pars  ii. 

(4)  U,i;lieiri  Itul.  Sac.  Tom.  iv.     Vercellenses  episcop.  Ep.  xliv.  Attc- 

(5)  D'  \cherii  Spicileg.  Tom.  i.     Attonis  ii.  Capttularc, 
(6;  Cap.  xvi 

(7>  Concilium  Ap^'athense.  A.n.  DVI.  Cap.  xixL 
(8)  Cap.  xvii.    He  tempore  baptism. 


2SU  THE   CAUSES  OF   THE   EXTENSIVE 

mains  this  is  the  sum. (9)  Catechumens  are  to  be  in- 
structed before  they  are  baptized.  It  it  should  happen, 
that  they  could  not  speak  for  themsehes,  ihe  testimonies 
of  credible  witnesses,  who  had  examined  them  in  pri- 
vate concerning  their  faith,  should  be  admitted,  and  they 
should  be  baptized.  Such  as  had  been  dumb  from 
their  infancy,  if  by  any  signs  they  required  to  be  bap- 
tized, were  not  to  be  denied  baptism.  In  regard  to  in- 
fants, who  were  not  of  age  to  speak  for  themselves,  on 
condition  Cathc^icks  would  answer  for  them,  baptism 
should  not  be  refused  them ;  however,  great  care  was 
to  be  taken  to  inform  the  respondents  that  they  laid 
themselves  under  obligations  to  instruct  them.  The 
nineteenth  orders  the  immediate  baptism  of  sick  chil- 
dren. The  ninety-seventh  appoints,  that  no  person 
should  be  baptized  unless  he  could  say  by  heart  the 
creed  and  the  Lord's  prayer,  except  such  as  had  not  ar- 
rived at  the  age  of  speaking.  The  baptism  of  such  as 
could  not  speak  is  not  appointed,  much  less  enforced  : 
but  it  is  introduced  here  as  a  case  to  be  tolerated.  The 
language  is  clear,  and  decisive.  Constitutum  est, 
ut  nullus  baptizetur^  nisi  symbolum  et  orationem  Domin- 
icam  memoriter  temierit :  It  is  ETii  acted,  that  no  person 
shah  be  baptized  unless  he  can  say  by  heart  the  creed  and 
the  Lord's  prayer.  But  if  any  Catholicks  desire  the 
baptism  of  such  as  cannot  speak,  and  if  they  will  answer 
for  them,  non  abnuimus,  negatively,  %ve  will  not  re- 
fuse to  baptize  them,  or  positively,  ive  %mll  wink  at  it. 
The  truth  is,  the  clergy  were  become  so  wicked,  that 
Atto,  Ratherius,  Abbo,  and  other  sober  bishops,  were 
obliged  to  compound  with  them.  In  their  sermons 
they  urged  the  necessity  of  instructing  before  baptizing, 
but  in  practice  they  were  obliged  to  va  ink  at  worse  things 
than  infant  baptism,  as  will  l:>e  observed  in  the  next  arti- 
cle,  but  they  knew  it  was  an  innovation.  There  was  an 
officer  in  the  church  of  Milan,  named  Ambrose,  who 
wrote  to  Atto  to  desire  an  account  of  the  original  insti- 
tution of  the  female  officers  called  deaconnesses.  Atto 
answered,  they  had  been  appointed  formerly  for  the 
purposes  of  baptizing  women.  Now,  indeed,  they 
were  not  allowed  to  bai:)tize,  because  the  custom  of  baptiz- 
ing little  ones  had  rendered  their  services  unnecessary, 

(9)  Cap.  xviii,    politer  BaftUmi  lacramenta  ceiebrari  qpartetm 


PROGRESS   OF   THE    BAPTISM    OE  BABES.  281 

for  there  was  nothing  in  the  nakedness  of  female  chil- 
dren offensive  to  modesty.  He  adds,  very  truly,  that  m 
the  primitive  church  there  were  female  elders,  who 
taught-,  as  well  as  female  deacons,  who  baptized.  The 
church  of  Milan  retains  a  shadow  of  this  discipline  to 
this  day  in  the  women  servants  called  Veglonissae  (1). 
The  difficulty  of  providing  for  the  children  of  the 
priests  is  the  third  article  :  a  practice  worse  than  the  bap- 
tism of  them.  The  truth  of  the  fact  that  they  did  provide 
for  them  by  procurinj^  orders  and  sine-cures,  and  even 
cures  for  them  in  their  childhood,  is  beyond  a  doubt. 
Pope  Gregory  reproved  the  bishop  of  Liege,  just  now 
mentioned,  for  marrying  some  of  his  bastards  into  noble 
families,  and  portioning  them  by  assignments  of  church- 
estates  ;  for  procuring  benefices  for  others,  who  were 
minors  ;  for  conferring  both  cures  and  sine-cures  on 
them  himself;  for  giving  a  prebend  in  his  church  to  the 
brother  of  a  nun  ;  and  for  portioning  two  daughters  by 
the  same  nun  with  ecclesiastical  money,  having  married 
one  of  them  to  the  son  of  a  certain  count,  and  jointured 
her  in  an  estate  that  cost  fifteen  hundred  silver  marks  (2). 
Ratherius  wrote  to  Martin  bishop  of  Ferrara  on  the  same 
subject,  and  reproved  him  sharply  for  selling  orders  to 
children,  of  which  he  had  made  a  perpetual  practice (3). 
There  are  two  letters  of  Atto  to  his  clergy,  written  ex- 
pressly against  incontinence;  and  in  one  he  depicts  the 
sacred  rakes  as  people  now  describe  the  most  profligate 
debauchees,  and  informs  them  that  their  extravagant  lib- 
ertinism disgraced  and  ruined  the  church,  by  exciting 
the  contempt  of  the  people,  who,  for  their  sakes,  sacri- 
legiously withheld  the  payment  of  tithes,  apd  who  were 
impoverished  by  supporting  them  and  their  mistresses 
and  children  (4).  In  the  second  part  of  his  book,  De 
pressiiris  Eccksiasticisy  Concerning  the  grie'vances  of  the 
churchy  he  describes  the  manner  of  ordaiuhig  little  boys, 
and  uses  precisely  the  same  arguments  against  the  prac- 
tice, as  the  Bapiists  do  against  the  baptizing  of  them  (5). 
It  seems,  the  infants,  as  he  calls  them,  were  trained  by 
the  rod  to  give  answers  to  questions  in  publick,  which 
they  could  hardly  utter,  and  not  a  word  of  which   they 

(1)  Murat.  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  v.  Diss.  Ixvi.  < 

f  2)  Greg.  Epist.  ut  sup.  (3)  Epist.  i.  Martino  Ferran'ensi, 

f4)  Epist.  ix.  X Ep.  ix.  (5)  D-?  ordinaUonibus. 

36 


282  THE    CAUSES    OF    THE    EXTENSIVE 

understood.  There  was  a  mock  election,  too,  which 
the  people  laughed  at,  while  they  gave  their  votes.  All 
this  was  done,  he  says,  not  so  much  to  conceal  the  fraud, 
for  that  was  notorious,  as  to  evade  the  literal  force  of 
the  canons,  which  had  expressly  forbidden  all  such  prac- 
tices. "  Here  is  a  bishop  like  an  idol,  he  hath  eyes  and 
cannot  see^  ears  and  cannot  hear.  These  are  not  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ ;  for  to  them  he  said,  Blessed  are  your 
eyes^  for  they  see,  and  your  ears,  for  they  hear.  These 
are  the  blind  leading  the  blind.  They  that  make  such 
idols  are  like  unto  them  :  so  is  every  one  that  trusteth  to 
them.''''  Thus  the  good  bishop  vented  his  grief  and 
shame  :  but  his  headstrong  clergy  paid  no  attention  to 
him.  Here,  then,  is  an  account  of  infant  bishops,  which 
includes  the  practice  of  infant  baptism,  and  the  most 
powerful  motive  in  the  world  to  engage  the  graceless 
Italian  priests  of  the  tenth  century  to  perform  it.  It  is 
a  violent  presumption  against  the  divinity  of  infant  bap- 
tism, that  it  was  most  practised  in  ages  when  rational 
motives  were  least  known.  No  three  facts  are  better  au- 
thenticated than  these  :  the  incontinence  of  the  clergy  : 
the  baptism  of  minors ;  and  the  putting  children  into 
orders;  and  when  these  are  collected  into  oi  e  point 
of  view,  the  history  run  thus.  In  the  tenth  and  some 
lower  centuries,  excepting  a  very  few,  the  whole  catho- 
lick  hierarchy  lived  in  habits  of  debauchery  (6).  Some 
few  pacified  their  scruples  by  private  marriage,  but  the 
far  greater  part  either  committed  fornication  and  adultery, 
promiscuously,  or  kept  mistresses,  whom  they  called 
vice-wives.  All  were  bad,  but  the  Italians  were  the 
worst.  Some  sober  bishops  tried  to  resist  the  torrent, 
and  made  their  clergy  sign  renunciations.  Thus  did 
Guarin  or  Warin,  who  was  bishop  of  Modena  in  the 
year  one  thousand  and  five,  and  in  his  archives,  there 
are  such  entries  as  these.  *'  I  Andrew,  presbyter,  prom- 
ise before  God,  and  all  the  saints,  and  you  Guarin,  bish- 
op, that  I  will  not  practise  carnal  commerce  :  or  if  I  do, 
I  will  resign  my  ecclesiastical  honour  and  my  benefice." 
*'  I  John,  archpresbyter,  promise  from  this  hour  forward 
to  you  Warin,  bishop,  that  I  will  never  commit  adultery 
all  the  days  of  my  life  with  another  man's  wife,  nor  for- 
nication with  any  unlawful  prostitute.     And  if  I  do,  J 

(6)  Murat,  licth  Aniiq.  Tom.  ii.  Diss.  xx.  De  aatibus  mulierum- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  BAPTISM  OF  BABES.     283 

expose  myself  to  danger  :"  other  prelates  winked  at  the 
abuse.  Some  indeed  made  laws  against  it  :  but  in  the 
first  council  of  Toledo,  a  law  was  made  for  it,  and  concu- 
bines were  allowed  to  the  clergy,  for  incontinence  was 
a  tide  which  could  not  be  stopped,  and  which  tlie  pre- 
lates were  obliged  to  regulate  as  well  as  they  could.  In 
regard  to  the  baptism  of  minors,  it  was  absolutely  nec- 
essary to  the  admission  of  them  into  orders.  Baptism 
was  called  J  anna  ecclesiae,  the  gate  by  which  people  en- 
tered into  the  church.  No  step  could  be  taken  to- 
ward pensioning  them  before  they  had  been  baptized. 
Children  might  be  admitted  into  ecclesiastical  schools 
without  it :  but  they  could  not  be  moved  from  thence, 
nor  put  into  the  list  of  choristers  till  they  had  been  bap- 
tized. They  were  therefore  taught  very  early  to  make 
the  responses.  A  presbyter  of  twelve  years  of  age,  or 
as  they  called  them,  little  infant  presbyters,  were  very 
common.  This  abuse  was  not  local,  it  prevailed  over 
the  whole  Catholick  world.  The  following  is  an  injunc- 
tion of  Q.  Elizabeth  of  England.  "  Item,  for  as  muche 
as  in  these  latter  dales,  many  had  been  made  priestes, 
beyng  childre,  and  otherwise  utterly  unlearned,  so  that 
they  could  not  reade  to  sale  Mattens  and  Masse  :  the 
Ordinaries  shall  not  admitt  any  suche  to  any  cure  or  spir- 
itual function  (7)." 

Parents,  who  had  no  interest  in  getting  their  children 
into  the  church,  deferred  the  baptism  of  them  :  but  the 
priests,  who  had  further  views,  accelerated  it.  This 
was  not  agreeable  to  many  thoughtful  bishops,  but  the 
condition  of  the  times  obliged  them  to  comply.  Boni- 
zo,  bishop  of  Placentia,  in  the  year  one  thpusand  eighty, 
nine,  in  a  squabble  about  who  of  two  was  the  lawful 
pope,  was  imprisoned,  maimed,  blinded,  and  murdered 
by  the  opposite  party.  This  good  prelate  had  written 
a  book  on  the  sacraments  (8).  On  baptism  he  ob- 
serves :  "that  Jesus  ordered  his  disciples  to  teach  and 
baptize :  that  instruction  ought  to  precede  baptism,  be- 
cause as  faith  without  works  was  dead,  so  works  without 
faith  was  unprofitable  :  that  it  was  supposed  this  order 
need  not  be  observed  in  the  baptism  of  children,  on  ac- 
count of  the  faith  of  their   parents,  or  the  sponsion  of 

(7)  Injunctions   ^iven   by  the   Qiieenes  Naiestie.     The  first  vere  of  the 
raig-ne  of  our  soueraigne  Lady  Qiieene  Elizabeth.  1559, 

(8)  Murat.  Antiq.  Tom.  iii.  Diss,  xxxvii. 


284  THE   CAUSES  OF   THE   EXTENSIVE 

their  godfathers:  that  however,  baptism  profitted  them 
no  further  than  as  exorcism  and  catechisinof,  which  were 
connected  with  it,  profitted  them  :  that  thouejh  the  apos- 
tles had  received  a  command  to  baptize,  yet  they  did 
not  proceed  immediately  to  execute  it,  but  waited  for 
the  descent  of  the  spirit,  and  it  was  not  till  the  end  of 
Peter's  sermon,  when  the  people  were  pricked  in  their 
heart,  and  said,  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  %ve  do  ? 
that  the  apostle  said,  Repent  and  be  baptized  e'oery  one  of 
you  :  that  agreeably  to  all  this  the  Roman  pontiffs  had 
decreed,  that  baptism  should  not  be  administered  to  the 
healthy  and  the  safe  at  any  time,  except  in  publick  on  the 
vigils  of  Easter  and  Whitsuntide  ;  although  to  prevent 
a  greater  evil,  the  loss  of  souls,  they  had  allowed  the  sick 
in  danger  of  death,  and  people  besieged,  or  in  danger  of 
shipwreck,  to  be  baptized  at  any  time."  Muratori,  after 
he  had  produced  a  great  number  of  authentick  monuments 
of  the  tenth,  eleventh,  twelfth,  thirteenth,  and  fourteenth 
centuries,  makes  this  very  true  observation  :  "By  these 
monuments  we  may  learn  how  many  centuries  Chris- 
tians retained  the  custom  of  not  baptizing  infants,  as  we 
do  now,  as  soon  as  they  are  born.  Except  in  case  of 
sickness,  or  imminent  danger  of  death,  most  deferred  it 
till  the  Saturdays  before  Easter-day  and  Whitsunday, 
on  which  days  the  church  solemnly  administered  bap- 
tism. Thither  children  several  years  old  were  some- 
times brought.  Bernard,  abbot  of  Cassiano,  in  the  elev- 
enth century,  as  William  the  monk  reports  in  his  life, 
published  by  Mabillon,  N.  xlii.  says,  I  %vas  three  years 
of  age,  when  I  was  baptized.  We  observe  also,  that 
the  baptized  immediately  received  the  communion  of 
the  body  of  Christ  (9)."  There  was  another  circum- 
stance, too,  which  tended  to  carry  over  baptism  from 
minors  to  babes.  It  was  a  custom  in  those  sad  times 
to  expose  children.  Among  the  Franks  they  were  call- 
ed Collects,  that  is,  gathered  or  picked  up,  and  the  law  re- 
quired either  that  they  should  be  claimed  by  their  parents 
or  relations  within  ten  days,  or  that  they  should  become 
the  slaves  of  the  finders(l).  There  was  in  the  8th  centu- 
ry a  merciful  arch- presbyter  of  Milan,   named  Datheus^ 

(9)  Antiq.  Tom.  iv.  Diss.  Ivil.    Be  ritibiis. 
(1)  Baluzii  Cfl/»/fM/,  Lib.  vi.Tit.l44. 


PBOGRESS  OF   THE   BAPTISM  OF   BABES-  285 

who  built  and  endowed  a  foundling-hospital (2).  Noth- 
ing can  be  more  humane  than  the  preamble  of  the  char- 
ter, which  censures  incontinence,  but  which,  however, 
distinguishes  worse  from  bad,  and  supposing  that  youth 
had  been  hurried  into  imprudences,  which  they  them- 
selves would  not  justify,  offers  to  prevent  the  destruc- 
tion of  illegitimate  children  by  providing  for  them  till  they 
were  seven  years  of  age,  and  then  by  either  placing  them 
out,  or  allowing  them  to  go  where  they  would  be  perfect- 
ly free.  A  noble  charity  !  It  was  the  custom  then,  when 
any  person  exposed  a  child,  to  wrap  up  a  handful  of  salt 
in  the  swaddling  clothes  to  signify  that  it  had  not  been 
baptized  (3).  If  there  were  no  salt,  it  was  understood, 
the  ceremony  had  been  performed.  The  excellent 
founder  of  the  house  forgot  nothing,  and  he  provided 
wet  nurses  to  suckle,  and  a  priest  to  baptize  these  his 
adopted  children.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  an  ex- 
posed child,  who  had  lain  abroad  nobody  knew  how  long, 
or  a  child  presented  by  its  blushing  mother,  who  could 
say  very  little  about  it,  might  be  adjudged  in  danger  of 
dying,  and  if  so,  baptism  must  have  been  administered 
immediately.  If  to  all  these  be  added  the  oblations  of 
children  to  monasteries,  and  the  pressing  necessity  of 
the  clergy  to  prepare  their  own  children  for  orders  and 
a  pension,  the  transition  of  baptism  from  little  to  less, 
from  minors  to  infants,  from  dipping  thrice  to  dipping 
once,  from  dipping  once  to  pouring,  and  from  pouring 
to  sprinkling,  will  appear  natural,  and  the  baptism  of 
babes  may  be  accounted  for  without  either  the  Old 
Testament  or  the  New. 

The  accommodation  of  this  ordinal  to  children  of  two 
or  three  years  of  age  was  practicable,  and  very  easy. 
The  canons  allowed  the  baptizing  of  children,  meaning 
minors.  Under  this  name  people  claimed  baptism  for 
such  as  indeed  were  minors,  but  not  such  minors  as 
the  laws  intended. 

The  same  observation,  which  hath  been  made  on  another 
occasion  on  the  vague  meaning  of  such  words  as  infant, 
child,  little  one,  and  the  like,  holds  good  here  ;  for  preci- 
sion was  far  from  the  character  of  the  Italian  language  of 

(2)  Murat.  ut  sup.  Tom.  iii.  Diss  xxxvii.  Fnndatio,  seu  dotatio  Brephot 
rophii  sancti  Salvatoris, facta  a  Datheo  Archipresbytero  Mediolanensis  ecclf 
six,  Anno  787. 

(3)  Ibid,  ut  sup. 


286  THE   CAUSES  OF  THE  EXTENSIVE 

those  ages.  The  French,  the  Spanish,  and  the  Italian 
languages,  rose  out  of  the  corruption  of  the  old  Roman 
tongue.  This  tongue  was  perfect  in  the  reign  of  Augustus 
in  the  writitigs  of  scholars,  but  it  was  not  so  among  the 
populace  even  then  either  in  the  provinces  or  at  Rome. 
Various  dialects,  unregulated  by  grammatical  laws, 
were  used  all  over  Italy.  Out  of  these,  and  foreign  lan- 
guages brought  in  by  Greeks,  Goths,  Lombards,  and 
others,  in  process  of  time  a  new  language  rose,  which 
notaries  were  obhged  to  write,  and  of  course  to  reduce 
lo  some  order  (4).  The  Corsicans  and  Sardinians  first 
gave  it  a  form,  which  in  the  thirteenth  century  others 
improved,  and  which  in  the  end  the  Florentines  refined 
up  to  its  present  perfect  state.  Spinello,  a  Sicilian  writer 
of  the  13  th  century,  exemplifies  the  vague  use  of  the  terms 
in  question  (5).  He  relates  an  anecdote  of  Roger  de 
Sanseverino,  a  child  whom  one  Donatiello  rescued  from 
a  ruin,  into  which  his  whole  family  had  fallen.  Dona- 
tiello says  :  My  master,  Ainiar  de  San  Severino,  as  he 
was  fleeing  to  the  coast  to  get  aboard  a  ship,  recollect- 
ed Roger,  and,  turning  himself  to  me,  said,  go,  Dona- 
tiello, and  try  whether  it  be  possible  by  any  method  to 
save  figl'iolo  the  little  child."  He  goes  on  to  narrate  tlie 
history,  how  he  got  possession  of  him,  how  he  con- 
ducted him  from  place  to  place,  till  he  delivered  him 
to  his  grandmotlier,  how  she  put  him  into  the  hands  of 
the  pope,  how  his  holiness  provided  for  him,  and  in  the 
end  that  at  17  years  of  age  Messer  Roger  became  z/«<J 
hello  gioDane  an  accomplished  young  gentleman.  Dur- 
ing all  his  minority  he  calls  him  promiscuously  figlio^ 
figliulo^figliolo^  the  first  a  corruption  o{  filius  a  son,  a 
child,  and  the  last  olfiliolus  a  little  son  :  yet  this  child, 
this  litde  child,  this  Roger,  whom  Spinello  calls  a  little 
little  child,  was  nine  years  of  age  when  Donatiello  first 
went  for  him  :  che  era  piccieritlo  di  noi^e  ann'i.  The 
Roman  and  Neapolitan  dialect,  which  in  those  ages  was 
nearly  the  same,  is  equally  vague  in  the  use  of  terms 
descriptive  of  legal  infancy.  Thus  in  an  ancient  frag- 
ment the  reader  is  informed,  that  William,  duke  of  Flor- 
ence, had  a  son,  Jiglio,  beautiful  as  an  angel,  but  of  man- 
ners so  depraved  that  he  took  pleasure  in  seeing  citizens 

(4)  Murat.  Antiq   Ital.  Tom.  ii.  Diss,  xxxii.  Be  originc  lingua  Italicx. 

(5)  Diurnali  di  Mcsser  Mattco  Sj)inello  Ji  Ginvanazzo.  apud.  Murat.  Script. 
Ital.  Tom.  vii. 


PROGRESS   OF    THE     BAPTISM    OP    BABES.  287 

tortured,  and  after  his  father's  orders  had  been  executed, 
would  beg  more  blows  might  be  given  the  sufferers  for 
his  diversion  (6).  His  father  had  invested  him  with 
military  honours,  and  this  cruel  child  who  was  an  officer 
was  iovine  [juvenis]  de  dodici  anni,  a  youth  of  twelve 
years  of  age."  So  again  :  "  Feliciano  entered  the  pal- 
ace of  the  king  of  Hungary,  and  went  into  the  room 
where  the  king,  the  queen  his  consort,  and  Lewis  his  son, 
were  sitting  at  dinner.  Lewis  now  king,  was  then  in  hii; 
infancy  (7)."  So  again  in  the  life  of  Cola  di  Rienzo 
(8)  :  "The  mangled  body  of  the  tribune  was  left 
hanging  two  days  and  one  night,  and  the  little  children 
Li  Zitidli  pelted  it  with  stones."  So  again  :  "Infants 
of  five  years  of  age  walked  two  and  two  in  procession, 
and  chastized  themselves  with  whips."  Such  a  vague 
use  of  words  occurs  every  where.  An  ordinal  to 
regulate  the  baptism  of  children,  therefore,  is  to  be 
expounded  by  circumstances,  and  not  by  affixing  to 
the  word  child  an  arbitrary  sense,  and  by  supposing  it 
always  stood  for  a  new-born  babe.  In  the  Ambrosian 
ordinal  of  the  time  now  under  consideration  the  accom- 
modation lay  in  the  part  at  the  water  immediately  before 
baptism.  It  was  the  administrator  who  repeated  the 
creed,  and  the  Catechumen  had  only  two  words  to  utter :. 
the  one  baptizare :  the  other  credo.  A  child  of  two  or 
three  years  of  age  could  utter  these,  and  such  were, 
probably,  the  children  that  were  baptized  in  publick  in 
the  twelfth  century  in  the  Catholick  church.  It  ii  the 
opinion  of  the  academy  Delia  Crusca^  to  which  Murato- 
ri  accedes,  that  the  Italian  word  bambino^  which  answers 
to  the  English  term  babe,  was  originally  taken  from. 
B«^€£«»«j»,  the  participle  of  B«t|tt^<«<v<a,  which  signifies  one  who 
speaks  inarticulately  (9).  Can  any  thing  be  more  likely 
than  that  all  infants  should  obtain  this  name  from  such 
of  them  as  spoke  inarticulately  at  their  baptism  ?  Cer- 
tain  it  is,  the  term  came  in  while  the  practice  was  in  use. 
Thus  (to  give  only  one  example)  in  the  chrouicle  called 
the  gests,  or  achievements  of  the  marquisses  ofEste,  itis 
said,  that  Azzolino,  the  devil's  executioner,  spared  nei- 

(6)  Hist.  Romanx  Fragjnentuin.  apudMuTZt.  Antiq.  Tom.iii.  Capltolo  xii. 

(7)  Capitolo  X.  Entra  Feliciano.  Lo  Re  stava  a  taola,  e  pranzava  esso  c 
la  Reina  e  sio  figlio  Luclovico,   modo  Re,  lo  quale  era  in  etate  de  infantia. 

(8)  Vita  Di  Cola  Di  Rienzo  Libra  terzo.  Capitolo  xxiv. 

(9)  Murat.  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  ii.  Diss,  xxxiii.  Ds  originc  five  Etymolagic. 
Italicaram.  vocum.  Bambino.  Jnfans.  Infantulxis, 


288  THE    CAUSES    OF    THE    EXTENSIVE 

ther  aged  men,  nor  pregnant  women,  nor  little  stammering 
infants  (l).  Muratori  observes,  there  are  many  words 
in  Ttaiy,  as  there  are  in  other  countries,  which  owe  their 
origin  to  one  man,  or  one  event,  merely  accidental  and  ar- 
bitrary, and  he  gives  an  example  in  the  word  Magiiano^  a 
Blacksmith.  After  he  hath  mentioned  many  learned 
etymologies,  and  shewn  the  futility  of  them,  he  adds  his 
own  conjecture,  which  like  all  his,  is  ingenious,  natural, 
and  highly  probable  (2).  There  are  more  such  etymol- 
ogies than  many  are  aware  of,  and  Bambino  seems  to  be 
one  :  but  however  it  be,  it  is  beyond  a  doubt  the  words 
Bambino,  figlio,  infant,  child,  and  others  synonymous,  were 
all  in  those  times  vague  and  indeterminate,  and  nothing 
but  circumstances  can  fix  the  sense  ;  and  therefore  no 
arguments  for  baptism  taken  from  such  single  words  can 
be  valid. 

If  there  be  any  doubt  of  this,  it  may  be  removed  by  turn- 
ing to  the  vocabulary  of  the  academy  Delia  Crusca,  where 
the  sense  of  each  word  is  given,  and  now  fixed  and  con- 
firmed by  examples  from  the  most  approved  Italian  wri- 
ters (3)  :  but  in  former  ages  the  language  was  not  re- 
duced to  precision  :  the  famous  passage  in  the  gospel. 
Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  is  rendered  in 
the  Italian  version  :  Lasciate  i  piccoli  fanchilli  venire  a 
me  (4).  If  the  wor A  fanciidlo  be  taken  precisely  in  the 
sense  which  the  academicians  have  given  it,  this  version 
is  the  best  of  any  modern  translation,  and  conveys  that 
precise  idea,  which  the  evangelists  meant.  Fanciullezza, 
says  the  academy,  is  puerizia^  the  age  between  seven 
and  fifteen  :  and  fanciuUo  is  a  child  out  of  infancy  :  and 
not  arrived  at  adolescence.  They  observe,  however, 
that  the  word  is  not  always  used  accurately,  but  is  some- 
times put  for  a  marriageable  person.  Piccolo^  which 
signifies  little,  is  intended  to  fix  the  sense,  and  piccolo 
fanciidlo  is  a  little  boy  of  eight  or  ten  years  of  age.  To 
children  of  this  size  the  circumstances  in  the  gospel 
agree,  but  they  do  not  agree  to  new-born  in- 
fants. By  the  way,  the  learned  Diodati,  in  his  Italian 
notes  on  the  New  Testament,  observes  both  the  orig- 
inal mode  of  baptizing,  and  that  of  after  ages.     Thus  on 

(1)  Chro7i.  Estense.  Murat.  Tom.  xv.  An.  mcclx. 

(2)  Magnano.  Faher  Ferrarius. 

(3)  Vocabolario  Degli  Accademici  Bella  Crusca,  In  Venetia.  1686. 

(4)  La  Sacra  Bibbia.  Per  Fietro.Chovct,  1641. 


PROGRESS   OF   THE     BAPTISM    OF    BABES.  289 

Mat.  iii.  6.     And  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan :  he 
says,   were   dipped  in  water.       Again   on    Rom.   vi.  4. 
We  are  buried  ivith  him  in  baptism  :  tliat  is,  we  are  im- 
mersed^  in  ivater^   according  to  the  ancient  method  of 
baptizing ;  a  sacred  symbol  proper  to  set  forth  the  en- 
tire suffocation  of  sin  in  us  by  the  Spirit  of  God,   and 
the  cleansing  of  the  mind  by  regeneration  as  a  seal  of 
the  children  of  God.     The  word  soffogare,   which  liter- 
ally signifies  to  suffocate  by  drowning,  is  used  figuratively  to 
express  the  putting  to  death,  or  annihilating  of  any  thing 
so  that  it  could  be  or  live  no  more,  as  to  rot  wheat  in 
water  is  to  suffocate,  drown,  or  annihilate  the  germ  :  or 
the   burying  of  any  thing  so  that  it  was  seen  no  more. 
This  word  was  taken  from  the  drowning  of  Pharaoh  and 
the  Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  as  the  passage  through 
that  is  said  to  be  a  figure  of  baptism,   the  Greek  fathers 
first,  and  after  them  the  Latins,  incorporated  the  language 
of  the  history   in  Exodus  into  descriptions  of  baptism. 
The  reverend  Father  Mingarelli  lately  published  at  Rome 
an  ancient  Glossary  on  Exodus,   written  in  the  ninth  or 
tenth  century,  and  as  the  learned  Scipio  Maffci  supposed, 
by  Pacificus,  an  archdeacon  of  Verona,  either  a  native  or 
an  Englishman,  or  a  German,   which  proves  that  the 
Italians  of  those  times  administered  baptism  to  people, 
after  they  were  instructed,   by  dipping,  and  that  they 
transmitted  the  ideas  of  drowning  and  suffocating  sin  in 
baptism  from  the  fathers  to  the  moderns  (6).     Diodati 
therefore  used  the  established  language  of  his  country  : 
a  harsh  figure  /  fully  expressive  however  of  a  perfect  im- 
mersion of  men,  who  had  been  guilty  of  actual  sin. 

(6)  D.Johan.  Aloysii  Ming-arellii  Aiiecdotorum  fasciculus,  Ronicel756.  G!os- 
ax  super  Exodutn.  Cap.  xiv.  20.  Et  erat  nubes  tenebrosa,  et  in  lutninans  noc- 
tein:  Tenebrosa  Egyptiis,  lucida  Israel  ;  sic  ipsa  doctrina  est  fidelium  in- 
lumlnatio. 

21.  Abstulit  illud  Dominusjlante  veiito.-  Mare  baptismum   slg-nificat. 

Divisaque  est  aqua  :  post  baptismum  aditus  regni  apertus  est. 

23.  Persequetites  Egyptii  ingressi  sunt  post  eos  Usque  ad  ipsum  baptism! 
mtroitum  diabolus  cum  superbia,  et  ceteris  satellitibus  homines  pers  quitur, 
Qvii  baptizandus  est,  filius  diaboli  descendit,  sed  eo  summerso  filius  Dei 
ascendit. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  pursuing  Egyptians  foUoiued  the  Israelites  into  the  red  sea.  So  the 
haughty  devil,  and  his  satellites,  pursue  mankind  even  to  the  baptismal 
waters.  So  that  a  candidate  for  baptism,  goes  down  into  the  water,  a 
child  of  the  devil,  but  havinsr  been  imtnersed,  he  comes  out  of  it  a  child  of 
God!! 

O^r"  It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  tliese  are  the  comments  of  a  Pxdo" 
•aptist  writer.    \^Ed. 

37 


2§0  SEVERAL  CONSEqUENCES  Of 

Nothing  is  more  common  with  writers  on  baptism 
than,  on  producing  a  law  to  baptize  infants,  instantly 
to  conclude  that  modern  infant  baptism  was  an  ancient 
universal  practice  ;  but  the  conclusion  is  hasty,  as  them- 
selves must  own,  if  they  please  to  advert  to  the  cases 
above,  for  baptism  of  infants  in  Saxony  in  the  eighth 
century  was  that  of  babes  within  a  year  old,  under  an 
imperial  law  ;  but  baptism  of  infants  in  Italy  in  that  and 
following  centuries  was  that  of  minors  under  canon  law 
misinterpreted  by  custom,  and  applied  to  babes  not  by 
the  despotism  of  the  civil  magistrate,  but  by  the  deprav- 
ity of  the  clergy,  or  rather  by  that  unnatural  law  of 
clerical  celibacy. 


CHAP.  XXVIII. 

SEVERAL  CONSEQUENCES  OF  TRANSFERRING  BAPTISM  TO  BABES, 

IN  the  ages  between  the  third  century  and  the  ninth, 
while  the  baptism  of  minors  by  dipping  was  generally 
practised,  and  while  babes  were  baptized  only  in  cases 
of  extreme  danger,  publick  baptisms  at  Easter  and 
Whitsuntide  were  so  ornamented  with  ceremonies  as 
to  exhibit  a  grand  show.  After  the  baptism  of  babes 
had  been  introduced  in  publick,  many  of  these  ceremo- 
nies became  impracticable,  and  consequently  fell  into 
disuse,  while  others  took  an  oblique  direction,  and  be- 
came utterly  unintelligible  to  a  common  spectator,  though 
they  continued  to  be  used. 

To  give  a  brief  sketch  of  this.  i.  It  is  remarkable 
that  baptisteries  disappeared,  and  along  with  them  all 
the  ceremonies  used  at  the  consecration  of  them  ;  for 
these  buildings  had  been  consecrated  distinctly  and  a- 
part  from  churches,  and  with  great  propriety,  if  con- 
secration be  necessary  at  all,  for  they  were  separate 
and  independent  edifices,  as  some  ancient  inscriptions 
prove  (1). 

ii.  The  disappearance  of  deaconnesses,  too,  ought  to 
be  observed,  for  from  the  times  of  the  apostles  for  sev- 
eral ages  elderly  women  ofiiciated  in  the  church,  and 
performed  the  same  offices  to  their  own  sex  as  deacons 
did  to  men,  one  of  which  was  administering  baptism, 

(1)  Paciaud.  Jntiq.  Christ.  Diss.  ii.  Cap.  3. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  291 

When  adult  baptism  fell  into  disuse,  deaconnesses  dis- 
appeared, although  the  old  form  of  ordaining  them  re- 
mains in  the  ordinals,  for  both  Greek  and  Latin  rituals 
retain  the  ancient  form  of  ordaining  the  sister  Phoebes, 
as  the  ritualists  call  them  :  but  they  are  not  used  now 
in  the  western  churches  (2). 

iii.  Catechumens  also  have  disappeared,  and  the 
forms   relating  to  them  are  disused. 

The  learned  and  candid  Dr.  King,  with  the  most 
laudable  zeal,  residing  in  Russia,  availed  himself  of  his 
situation,  and  made  the  Protestant  churches  a  present 
of  what  they  never  had  before,  a  clear,  faithful,  and  ac- 
curate account  of  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Greek 
church  in  Russia,  observes,  "  that  a  vast  number  of  in- 
ventions have  been  added  to  that  plain  institution  of 
Christ,  baptism  ;  inventions  which  arose  from  the  ca- 
pricious imaginations  of  bishops,  while  each  appointed 
all  the  offices  and  ceremonies  in  his  own  diocese  : 
though  some  circumstances,  which  might  be  supposed 
to  have  been  proper  or  useful  in  earlier  times,  must  ap- 
pear unnecessary  at  present  on  account  of  the  different 
situation  of  the  Greek  church.  There  is  in  this  church 
a  form  of  making  Catechumens  before  baptism,  and 
this  is  continued  to  infants  :  but  there  is  also  in  the 
liturgies  a  form  of  dismissing  Catechumens  before  the 
church  received  the  Lord's  supper,  which  is  now  for  a 
very  obvious  reason  discontinued.  The  following  is 
the  Ritual 

.    Deacon.     Catechumens  ;  pray  unto  the  Lord. 

Choir.     Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

Deacon,  Ye  faithful,  let  us  pray  unto  the  Lord  for 
the  Catechumens,  that  the  Lord  will  have  mercy  upon 
them. 

Choir,     Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

Deacon,  That  he  may  instruct  them  in  the  word  of 
truth. 

Choir.     Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  &c.  (3). 

The  form  of  making  an  infant  a  Catechumen  is  re- 
tained, and  the  sponsor  answers  :    but  the  impropriety^ 

(2)  Goarii  Ritual.  Grcecor.  Paris  1647.  pag.  252.  De  DiaconissU.  Orat, 
in  Diaconissie  ordinat. 

(3)  Dr.  John  Glen  King.  Rites  and  Ceremonies  of  the  Greek  church  in 
Evssia,  pag.  161.    London.  1772. 


292  SEVERAL    CONSEq_UENCES    OF 

is  evident.  "  The  priest  turns  the  Catechumen  to  the 
West,  uncovered,  without  shoes,  and  his  hands  lifted 
Tip,  and  saith  :  Dost  thou  renounce  the  devil,  and  all 
his  works,  all  his  angels,  all  his  service,  and  all  his 
pomp  ?  The  Catechumen  then  answereth,  or  his  spon- 
sor, if  it  be  a  Pagan  or  a  child,  and  saith  :  I  do  re- 
nounce. The  priest  repeats  the  same  question  the  sec- 
ond and  the  third  time,  and  he  answers  the  same  to 
each.  The  priest  then  saith  :  Hast  thou  renounced  the 
devil  ?  Ansv\er.  I  have  renounced.  The  same  ques- 
tion and  answer  thrice.  Then  the  priest  saith,  blow  and 
spit  upon  him  :  which  he  does,  and  the  priest  turns 
him  to  the  East,  holding  his  hands  down,  and  then  saith 
to  him  :  Art  thou  joined  unto  Christ  ?  Answer.  I  am 
joined.  Priest  :  Hast  thou  been  joined  unto  Christ  ? 
Answer.  I  have  been  joined.  Priest.  Dost  thou  be- 
lieve in  him  ?  Answer.  1  believe  in  him  as  king  and 
God,  and  then  repeats  the  creed,  I  believe  in  one  God, 
to  the  end.  The  questions  and  answers  and  the  creed 
are  repeated  a  second  and  a  third  time.  Then  the 
priest  asks  thrice  :  Hast  thou  been  joined  unto  Christ  ? 
Answer,  thrice  :  I  have.  Priest  :  Worship  him.  The 
Catechumen  bowing,  saith,  I  worship  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  consubstantial  and  undi- 
vided Trinity.  Then  the  priest  saith  :  Blessed  be  God, 
who  would  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  :  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 
The  service  finishes  with  a  prayer  (4)."  It  should  seem 
there  is  the  same  reason  for  discontinuing  the  admission 
as  the  dismission  of  Catechumens  :  but  the  Greek 
church  doth  not  think  so. 

iv.  The  custom  of  swearing  by  baptism,  which  pre- 
vailed both  in  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches,  hath  been 
long  forgotten ;  and  receiving  the  Lord's  supper  as  a 
test  of  fidelity,  so  fully  occupies  its  place,  that  he  who 
receives  that,  is  now  said  to  take  the  sacrament,  that  is, 
the  oath^  as  if  there  were  no  other,  but  formerly  this 
was  only  one  oath  of  several.  The  very  learned  and 
laborious  Du  Fresne  hath  collected  many  examples  of 
baptismal  oaths  in  his  Glossary,  and  in  his  notes  on  the 

(4)  Dr.  King,  as  before. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  293 

Byzantine  writers  (5).  In  the  first  ages,  when  a  disci- 
ple of  Jesus,  in  a  Pagan  city  where  Christianity  was  rid- 
iculed or .  persecuted,  stepped  out  of  the  crowd,  and  in 
the  face  of  the  world  professed  himself  a  Christian  by 
being  baptized,  he  was  supposed  to  give  an  unequivocal 
proof  of  his  integrity.  It  would  have  been  a  shame  to 
doubt  the  sincerity  of  a  man,  who  had  the  courage  to 
act  for  conscience-sake  in  a  case  where  he  gained  noth- 
ing, and  hazarded  all.  Such  a  man,  where  attestation 
among  his  Fellow-Christians  was  required,  might  with 
a  good  grace  lay  his  hand  on  his  breast,  and  say,  I  pro- 
test by  my  baptism,  or  I  declare  by  my  Christianity,  it 
is,  it  was,  or  it  shall  be  so  and  so.  If  it  be  not  so,  I  a- 
gree  you  should  not  take  me  for  a  Christian.  Hence 
came,  I  swear  by  my  faith,  I  plight  thee  my  troth  :  or 
briefly,  faith  or  troth  it  is  so  (6).  This  like  every  other 
custom  that  had  any  connection  with  baptism  evidently 
came  from  adult  baptism,  for  it  is  not  imaginable  that 
any  man,  who  had  been  christened  in  infancy  would 
say,  I  swear  by  my  Christianity,  that  is,  I  appeal  to  that 
sincerity  and  good  faith,  with  which  when  I  was  an  in- 
fant, I  have  been  told,  I  professed  to  believe  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  When  in  later  times  the  clergy  adminis- 
tered the  baptismal  oath  by  baptizing  a  child,  it  was  a 
piece  of  chicanery,  as  some  found  to  their  cost,  and  it 
fell  into  total  disuse.  Gontharis  besieged  Carthage  (7). 
Areobindus,  general  of  the  forces  there,  retired  into  a 
church.  Reparatus,  the  bishop  of  the  city,  waited  on 
him  in  the  name  of  Gontharis  to  propose  terms  of  capit- 
ulation. Areobindus  offered  to  accept  them  on  con- 
dition the  bishop  would  confirm  the  treaty  by  an  oath  of 
baptism.  The  prelate  agreed  and  swore  and  baptized 
a  child.  Thus  baptism  became  a  sacrament  or  an 
oath.  After  the  baptism,  Areobindus  received  the  child 
from  the  hands  of  the  bishop  with  the  articles  of  ca- 
pitulation, and  went  with  this  solemn  pledge  to  Gon- 
tharis, who,  notwithstanding  the  oath,  put  him  to  death 
the  next  day.      The  Catholicks  have  seven   ceremo- 

(5)  Caroli  Da  Fresne  Bom.  du  Cange.    Glossarium  ad  scriptor.  medide  isf 
infima:   lavnitatis.     Paris,  1733,  in  verb.     Juramentiim  -  -  - .  Christianita.s 

Jiirare  per  christianitatem  nihil  aliud  est  quam  jurare  per  baptisraum 

Chronicon  Paschale  -  -  Cura  et  studio  C.  Du  Fresne.  Parisiis,  1688,  pag:^ 
325.  An.  478. 

(6)  Shakespeare. 

(7)  Procopius  apudD\i.  Fresne  ubi  sup. 


294  SEVERAL    CONSEQUENCES    OF 

nies  of  religion,  which  they  call  sacraments.  Five  of 
them  seem  to  have  been  taken  from  this  ordinance  ; 
unction,  penance,  baptism,  confirmation,  and  orders  : 
and  the  other  two  from  the  Lord's 'supper  and  marriage. 
The  whole  seem  to  have  acquired  the  name  of  sacra- 
ments, that  is,  oaths,  from  the  custom  of  appealing  to 
three  solemn  transactions,  a  profession  of  Christianity 
made  at  baptism  :  the  joining  with  a  christian  church 
in  receiving  the  Lord's  supper :  and  the  solemnity  of 
a  marriage  contract.  A  man  who  couid  appeal  to  his 
own  conscience,  his  fellov^  church  members,  and  to  his 
wife  and  her  family,  for  his  punctual  performance  of 
promises,  and  who  had  violated  none  of  these  engage- 
ments, ought  to  be  believed.  It  was  the  yea^  yea,  and 
nay,  nay,  of  primitive  Christians.  It  was  on  some 
such  just  and  natural  ground  that  the  English  govern- 
ment required  and  accepted  as  evidence  a  certificate 
from  three  or  four  members  of  a  dissenting  congrega- 
tion, that  such  a  person  was  bona  fide  a  protesiant 
dissenter.  From  the  same  natural  source,  too,  perhaps, 
came  certificates  from  the  minister  of  a  parish,  and 
the  church-wardens  ;  for  the  first  principles  of  human 
actions  are  very  few  :  the  various  modifications  of  them 
are  infinite  and  innumerable. 

V.  The  disuse  of  adult  baptism  accounts  also  for  one 
historical  fact,  that  is,  that  modern  histories  of  events, 
unconnected  with  religion,  contain  no  anecdotes  relative 
to  baptism  or  baptisteries  :  but  ancient  histories  have 
many  of  this  sort.  For  example.  In  an  history  of  the 
Byzantine  theatre,  it  is  said,  that,  in  the  year  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven,  the  players,  on  a  theatre  at  a 
city  of  Asia,  diverted  the  pagan  spectators  with  a  mock 
baptism  (8).  For  this  purpose  they  provided  a  large 
bathing  tub,  filled  it  water,  and  plunged  Gelasinus  into 
it,  to  the  no  small  diversion  of  the  company. 

In  an  history  of  Constantinoplitan  revolutions  it  is  said : 
In  the  year  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight,  Zeno  was 
by  treachery  received  into  the  city  of  Constantinople, 
and  got  possession  of  the  palace.  The  Emperor  Basil- 
icus,  finding  himself  betrayed,  fled  with  his  consort  and 
children  into  the  great  baptistery  for  safety  (9).     Thence 

(8)  Chronic.  Paschale  uhi  sup.  pag.  279.Tih»<rmiy  &0. 
{9)  Ibid.  p.  325. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  295 

they  were  fetched  out  under  promises  of  personal  secu- 
rity, only  to  be  deprived  of  all  imperial  ensigns,  and 
banished.  This  was  the  celebrated  baptistery  of  S. 
Sophia,,  and  it  was  called  the  great  baptistery,  either 
because  it  belonged  to  the  great  church,  or  to  distin- 
guish it  from  the  smaller  baptistery  at  the  church  of  S. 
Cosmas  and  Damien,  or  as  the  Greeks  call  it,  S.  Cos- 
midian. 

vi.  Some  articles  connected  with  baptism  have  dis- 
appeared. For  example:  Compilers  of  ancient  poetry 
are  obliged  to  say  :  this  poem  was  written  on  bap- 
tism (l):  that  was  composed  in  a  baptistery  :  This 
turns  on  a  thought  sugs^ested  by  the  circumstance 
of  two  churches  using  one  baptistery.  Collectors 
of  last  wills  and  testaments  are  forced  to  observe  (2): 
such  and  such  legacies  were  bequeathed  to  bap- 
tisteries, just  as  the  old  Romans  left  money  to  the 
baths  to  buy  oils  and  unguents  for  the  company  (3). 
Antiquaries  of  all  classes  have  actually  done  all  this,  and 
collections  of  pictures,  inscriptions,  medals,  coins,  festi- 
vals, and  histories  of  all  kinds  of  the  middle  ages,  have 
some  connection  near  or  remote  with  this  subject  (4). 
Even  punsters  and  writers  of  jest  books  have  dipping  in 
baptism  for  the  object  of  their  wit  (5).  No  remark  is 
more  common  among  the  inestimable  compilers  of  an- 
tiquities than  that  the  modern  churches  all  over  Italy  have 
taken  place  of  the  ancient  Roman  baths.  What  the 
baths  were  in  pagan  Italy,  the  churches  are  in  modern 
Italy.  The  pride  of  national  magnificence  hath  been 
transferred  from  the  former  to  the  latter.  Had  Grasvias 
and  Gronovius  been  Anabaptists,  probably,  they  would 

(1)  Gronovii  Thesaur.  Grxc.  Antiq.  Vol.  vlii.  p,  2405. 

(2)  S.  Sylvestri  mta. 

(3)  Barnab.  Brisson.  De  spectaculis  et  Feriis  apud  Gronovii  Thesaur.  Grcec. 
Vol.  viii.  pag.  2406. 

(4)  Camden's  Britannia.    Lond.  1695.    British    Coins,  pajr.   87.    N.    15. 

(5)  Heinrici  Bebelil-  -Poggli.  Alphonsi  regis  et  Adelphi  Facetice.  Tubin- 
gs, 1555  Lib.  iii.  De  viirabtU  haptistno  cujusdann  sacerdotis.  Sacerdos  vo- 
lens  baptlzare  puerum,  invenit  inter  cxtera  in  libro,  salta  per  tria,  hoc  est, 
id  quud  dicendum  est  invenies  post  tertium  folium.  Q;ia  propter  nou  in- 
telligens,  saltavit  circa  baptisterium.  Ad  hoc  Ruslici,  Domine,  quid  hie 
facib  ?  nos  nunquam  vidimus  hactenus  ita  baptizare.  Bene  est,  dixit  sacer- 
dos,  reliqui  verba  non  intellexerunt.  Postea  legpns,  ijntnerge  intus,  cre- 
debat  merdandum  in  ba.Histenum,  atque,  remotis  arbitris,  merdavit  in 
illud.  Qiiod  rusticus  per  rimas  portarum  videns,  dixit  ad  sacerdotem  ; 
Diabolus  bai)tizare  faciar  suos  pueros  in  isto  baptismo,  ego  non  fadam, 
atque  puerum  sine  baptismo  abdusit. 


296  SEVERAL    CONSEQUENCES    OF 

have  conjectured  that  the  baptistery  was  the  link,  which 
at  first  naturally  connected  the  Christian  church  with  a 
Roman  bath,  and  that  the  loss  of  the  baptism  of  adults 
accounts  for  the  disappearance  of  the  baptismal  hall,  now 
that  the  superb  cathedral  is  finished.  It  resembles  the 
taking  away  of  the  scaffolding.  However  it  be,  when 
the  productions  of  modern  times  become  antiquities,  fu- 
ture antiquaries  will  have  nothing  of  this  kind  to  adorn 
their  pages,  or  employ  their  artists  ;  for  die  christening  of 
a  child  is  a  dead  unanimated  trifle,  too  insignificant  to 
rouse  and  fire  the  fancy  and  the  passions  of  mankind  : 
but  the  baptism  of  a  wise  and  willing  professor  of 
Christianity  was  the  event  of  his  life  the  most  to  be  re- 
membered, and  a  great  multitude  of  such  fired  all  widi 
a  holy  enthusiasm  :  and  the  day  of  dedicating  a  bap- 
tistery was  celebrated  as  an  annual  festival. 

vii.  Nothing  appears  more  unmeaning  than  some 
modern  ceremonies  of  infant  baptism,  yet  there  is  not 
one,  which  was  not  at  first  a  reasonable  and  necessary 
part  of  the  service.  For  example.  What  can  a  lighted 
wax  taper,  put  into  the  hand  of  a  godfather  (for  the  child 
cannot  take  it)  in  broad  noon-day,  signify  ?  Infidels 
laugh  and  priests  preach  mysteries,  and  where  no  evil 
passions  are  excited,  all  is  very  well :  but  if  die  baptism 
of  adults  in  the  night  be  admitted,  here  is  nothing  to 
explain,  nor  any  thing  to  excite  ridicule.  The  very 
learned  president  Brisson  hath  proved  by  undeni- 
able evidence  from  ancient  and  allowed  authorities,  that 
in  the  middle  ages,  when  baptism  was  administered  by 
dipping  only  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  the  number  of 
Catechumens  being  very  great,  the  administrators  began 
to  baptize  in  the  night,  or  at  least  long  before  break 
of  day,  and  so  many  flambeaus  were  lighted  up  for 
publick  convenience,  that  the  darkness  was  turned  into 
day  (6).  Could  any  thing  be  more  natural  than  for 
some  of  the  attendants  to  give  a  taper  to  a  person  com- 
ing up  out  of  the  water,  or  to  walk  before  him  and 
light  him  ?  It  served  at  once  to  distinguish  him 
in  the  crowd  for  freedom  of  passage,  and  to  light 
him  from  the  baptistery  to  the  dressing-room.  It 
is   very   likely  one  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  names  for  a 

(6)  Brisson.    De  sj>€ctaa(lii  apud  Gvonoy,    VoU  viii.  p.  2410. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  297 

baptistery  came  from  this  circumstance  (7).  Perhaps 
also  vigils  came  from  hence.  Long  after  the  baptism 
of  adults  was  discontinued,  the  country  people,  chiefly 
womei>,  about  Ravenna,  used  to  go  to  town  on  the  eve 
of  John  Baptist's  day,  and  sit  up,  without  knowing  wlij^^, 
all  night  in  the  church  dedicated  to  him  (8).  It  was 
only  in  the  sixteenth  century  that  Julius  archbishop  of 
Ravenna  put  an  end  to  the  custom.  The  primitive 
Christians  were  not  a  set  of  enthusiasts,  who  dealt  in 
mysteries  and  hieroglyphicks :  mysticism  lies  in  mod- 
ern accounts  of  their  religion  ;  for  every  ceremony  may 
be  interpreted  as  easily  as  this. 

The  ancient  rites  of  baptism  are  almost  all  in  use  at 
this  day :  but  many  are  not  now  in  connection  with  bap- 
tism. The  washing  of  feet  is  in  the  Greek,  the  Roman, 
and  some  Protestant  churches.  The  ancient  baptismal 
kiss  went  along  with  Easter- Sunday,  and  the  Greek 
church,  and  some  protestant  churches  continued  it,  not 
at  baptism,  but  the  Greeks  at  Easter,  and  the  Protestants 
after  the  Lord's  supper  (9). 

It  would  be  endless  to  enumerate  particulars  :  and  a 
sketch  of  a  few  more  ceremonies  in  general  shall  suffice. 

viii.  It  was  a  custom  for  candidates  to  give  in  their 
names  in  writing  before  the  time  of  baptizing  (l). 
These  were  arranged  in  a  catalogue  in  a  church  register, 
and  were  called  over  before  prayer.  Hence  came  nam- 
ing and  baptism.  Some  candidates  had  been  slaves, 
and  had  no  distinct  names  before ;  others  had  been  call- 
ed by  pagan  names,  which  they  now  exchanged  for 
Christian,  as  Lais  for  Mary,  Jovius  for  Peter  :  this  ren- 
dered different  columns  necessary,  that  th?  new  name 
might  be  set  against  the  old  one.  In  process  of  time 
the  names  of  the  officers  of  the  church  were  put  into  a  col- 
umn by  themselves,  and  they  were  subdivided  into  cler- 

(7)  ^uli^nhov-  -  -Simeon.  Metaphrast.  S.  Martiani  vita.  Pulcherrimi  quo- 
que  ab  eo  constructi  illuminatorii,  quod  quidem  solemus  vocare  baptisteri- 
um.  Comprehensum  est  a  qiiinque  porticibus,  sicut  piobaticam  quoque 
aiunt  piscinati),  qua:  est  in  Hierusalenn  baptistery. 

(peSlia-f^o?      lUuminatio.  lUustratio.  Lumen,  i,  e.  Bapi\sma.-  —  baptism. 
nfUDoc  tm  (palikiv.   Dies  Luminarium.i.e.  Sabbat.  Paschal  -  -Easter-Sunday, 

(8)  Hieron.  Rube)  Hint.  Raven.  Lib   xi.  Venet  is  1390,  pai^   7ri8 

(9)  Geoi-gii  Pacliymeris  Andronici  Hist.  Pet  Possino  interprete  Roma  1669. 
Cap.  xv.  pag.  i8. 

(1)  Concil.  Carthag.  iv.  Cap.  85.  Baptizandi  nomen  suum.  dent.  --Basil,-. 
Chrysost.  Isidor.  -  -et  Ambros.  i»Mr^j«.  - -Pomp.  Samelli  Antiq.  Basiluogra' 
phia.  Cap.  xxyi. 

38 


298  SEVERAL    C0KSEQU£.\'CE3    0£ 

gy,  bishops  and  benefactors.  Thence  came  the  diptych* 
(2),  or  registers  of  select  names,  out  of  which  in  time 
proceeded  names  to  be  prayed  for,  first  the  living,  after- 
ward the  dead,  then  came  commemorations  of  saints, 
martyrs,  illuminations,  pictures,  statues,  canonizations, 
calendars,  festivals,  rituals,  and  so  on ;  nothing  of  the 
original  remaining  to  the  laity  in  baptism,  except  the 
question,  what  is  your  name,  and  even  that  a  babe  is  not 
able  to  answer.  Hegesippus  about  one  hundred  and 
seventy  was  the  first  who  took  out  of  the  catalogues  a 
list  of  bishops,  which  are  now  the  proper  diptyches. 

ix.  It  was  a  custom  for  Catechumens  to  spend  the 
week  before  the  time  of  baptizing  in  fasting,  prayer,  and 
hearing  sermons ;  and  to  abstain  from  amusements,  at 
other  times  lawful,  as  bathing,  visiting,  and  other  such 
pleasures.  Infant  baptism  rendered  all  these  obsolete 
in  regard  to  this  ordinance,  and  what  of  this  kind  re- 
mains in  passion. week  is  transferred  to  the  Lord's  sup- 
per, and  is  now  a  preparation  for  the  sacrament  at  Easter. 
On  Palm- Sunday,  which  is  the  first  day  of  the  week  be- 
fore Easter,  there  was  a  solemn  washing  of  the  heads  of" 
Catechumens.  Palm- Sunday  was  called  on  this  account 
capitilavium,  the  day  of  washing  heads  ;  for  on  this 
day  Catechumens,  who  had  been  long  under  tuition, 
were  divided,  and  such  as  were  declared  competent,  en- 
tered by  this  ceremony  on  the  services  of  the  week  pre- 
paratory to  baptism  :  while  the  rest  remained  in  the  state 
of  Catechumens  till  the  next  season,  or  till  they  obtained 
more  knowledge  of  Christianity,  and  had  given  full  proof 
of  a  thorough  conversion  (3).  Competents  signified 
joint  petitioners,  for  none  were  baptized  but  such  as 
petitioned  to  be  baptized,  and  none  were  allowed  to  pe- 
tition before  they  understood  what  they  asked  for.  It  is 
not  impossible,  that  the  pictures  in  some  baptisteries,  in 
which  one  man  is  represented  pouring  water  on  the 
head  of  another  standing  naked  in  a  river  up  to  his  breast 
or  his  shoulders,  were  intended  to  include  both  baptism 
by  dipping,  and  competency,  or  faith  and  holiness  and 
free  choice  by  pouring :  the  river  being  a  sign  of  the 
first,  and  washing  the  head  of  the  last.     Thus  the  pic- 

(2)  J.  And.  Schmidtii  Be  Diptych.  Dits.  Paciaud.  De  vet.  diptych.  Diss, 
vl.  Cap.  10.  -  -Norisii  Op.  Tom.  i.  apud  Paciaud. 

(3)  Or<io  Roman.  Ds  Domin.  Palmar.     Vide  Vicccom.  (k  ablutione  cap- 
itis iii.  15. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  299 

ture  informed  every  spectator,  that  Christianity  offered 
no  violence  to  any  man.  When  the  baptism  of  behev- 
ers  was  left  off,  this  ceremony  naturally  fell  into  disuse. 

X.  It  was  a  custom  just  before  the  administration  of 
baptism  for  the  bishop  to  preach,  and  there  are  many 
discourses  of  the  fathers,  which  were  delivered  on  these 
occasions  (4).  The  sermons  were  intended  to  explain 
and  confirm  the  doctrine  of  baptism,  to  direct  the  per- 
formance of  it,  and  to  excite  such  holy  affections  as 
were  suited  to  the  occasion.  Immediately  before  bap- 
tism the  candidates  stood  upright,  lifted  up  their  hands, 
renounced  Paganism  and  all  criminal  and  dissipated 
courses  of  life,  professed  their  belief  of  Christianity  : 
then  they  retired,  stripped  naked,  and  were  rubbed  all 
over  with  oil,  after  which  they  went  down  into  the  wa- 
ter. One  deacon  led  each  person  in :  another  cried 
with  an  audible  voice,  turn  your  foce  toward  the  east, 
then  the  bishop  baptized  him.  Generally,  in  modern 
practice,  the  sermon,  being  needless,  is  wholly  laid  aside, 
and  the  few  who  continue  to  discourse,  for  certain,  do 
not  address  those,  who  are  most  interested  in  the  busi- 
ness. Renunciation  hath  changed  its  object,  profession 
of  faith  is  made  by  proxy  vi^ithout  the  knowledge  or 
consent  of  the  principal.  Oil  is  continued  in  one  church, 
reduced  in  another,  and  wholly  disused  in  a  third. 

xi.  It  was  a  custom  after  baptism  to  wash  the  feet 
of  the  newly  baptized,  to  perfume  them  with  ointments, 
to  put  a  white  garment  and  a  garland  upon  them,  to  sa- 
lute them  with  a  kiss,  to  refresh  them  with  milk,  honey, 
and  wine,  to  make  them  presents,  to  put  into  their 
hands  wax  tapers,  and  to  sing  the  thirty-second  psalm, 
Blessed  is  he^  whose  transgression  is  forgr^^eii^  whose  sin 
is  coiiered.  Blessed  is  the  man  unto  whom  the  Lord  im- 
puteth  not  iniquity^  and  in  whose  spirit  there  is  no  guile. 
All  these  were  expressions  of  joy,  which  on  such  occa- 
sions were  very  just :  but  when  infants  took  the  place 
of  believers,  effusions  of  joy  fled  away  with  the  cause 
which  had  produced  them  (5).  To  Christians  there  is 
a  great  difference  between  the  conversion  of  a  man  and 
the  birth  of  a  child. 

<4)  Vicecom  ut  sup.  Lib.  iv.     Cap.  xvli. 
^  (5)  Jacob.  Goarii  Euchologion.      Officimn  Sancti  baptismatis   Gratis  ad 
faciendum  Catechuniemm  ablutiopost  baptisinuni. 


500  SEVERAL    CONSEQUENCES    OF 

xii.  It  was  also  in  consequence  of  transferring  bap- 
tism from  believers  to  babes,  and  of  altering  clipping  to 
pouring  and  sprinkling,  that  the  church  was  overwhelm- 
ed wiih  a  tide  of  frivolous  casuistry,  a  damage  to  learn- 
ing, and  a  disgrace  to  Christianity.  Casuistry  itself  is 
a  futile  thing,  and  if  Christianity  were  so  abstruse  as  to 
require  the  aid  of  a  Casuist,  it  would  be  a  strong  pre- 
sumption against  the  divinity  of  it.  Baptism  in  the 
New-Testament  is  plain,  and  hath  in  it  no  mystery  to  be 
believed,  and  no  difficulty  to  be  practised  ;  but  alter  the 
mode  and  change  the  subject,  and  it  becomes  perplexed, 
the  most  difficult  thing  in  the  world  to  be  understood, 
because  incongruous  with  reason,  and  impossible  to  be 
practised,  because  it  violates  the  irreversible  laws  of  na- 
ture, and  of  course  subverts  morality  to  serve  the  inter- 
est of  laith.  Casuists  can  take  off  even  the  horror  of 
murder  by  interpreting  the  commission  of  it  to  be  the 
giving  of  validity  to  a  sacrament.  It  would  seem,  if  a 
woman  drown  her  child,  she  commits  murder  ;  a  jury 
of  twelve  men  would  give  in  such  a  verdict  :  but  a 
Casuist  is  another  kind  of  man,  and  he  will  convert  this 
into  c.  trifling  question,  whether  in  the  mode  of  drown- 
ing the  child  the  mother  conferred  a  valid  baptism  ;  and 
to  determine  this  question  implies  a  learned  education, 
and  priests'  orders  are  absolutely  necessary  to  the  safe 
practice  of  this  sublime  spiritual  sort  of  virtue,  a  virtue 
above  par,  rectified  by  faith  into  what  the  pious  and 
learned  Casuist  denominates  grace.  No  men  have 
studied  this  sort  of  religion  more  than,  the  Spanish  Ca- 
tholicks.  In  the  year  sixteen  hundred  and  nineteen. 
Doctor  Don  Pedro  de  Ochagavia,  a  canon  of  the  church 
of  Salamanca  in  Spain,  published  a  folio  volume  of  casu- 
istry on  the  sacraments  of  the  church  (6).  In  the  sec- 
ond part  he  treats  of  baptism,  and  investigates  every 
question  that  can  be  thought  of  concerning  it.  The 
sixth  question  is,  whether  einersion  were  essential  to 
baptism  ?  Five  hundred  years  before,  John  Beleth  of 
Paris,  a  celebrated  Casuist,  had  taught  that  a  child  was 
to  be  dipped  three  times  in  the  water,  and  three  times 

(6)  Magist.  D.  Petri  de  Ochagavia  et  Mauleon  Breves  Tractatus  univ. 
doct.  sacraiii.  ecclcs.  covipyehendeiites.  Sahnanticx,  1619.  Quaest.  vi.  p.  67. 
An  in  eo  casu,  quo  baptismus  conferatur  per  imnnersionem  baptizandi  in 
aqua,  necessum  sit  ipsum  ex  aqua  extrahere,  et  non  ibi"  sufFocandum  re. 
linquere. 


TRANSFERRING    BAPTISM    TO    BABES.  301 

taken  out  (7):  but  Doctor  Ochagavia  determined  the 
contrary,  for  the  legislature  of  the  church  had,  since  the 
time  of  Beleth,  declared  that  immersion  was  not  essen- 
tial to  baptism ;  and  Dr.  Ochagavia  very  properly  ob- 
served, that  if  it  were  not  essential  to  a  valid  baptism  t® 
put  a  child  into  water,  it  could  not  be  absolutely  necessa- 
ry to  take  him  out.  Now  it  might  happen  that  the 
priest,  the  moment  he  had  immersed  the  child,  might 
drop  down  dead  :  or  it  might  happen  that  a  weak  child 
in  the  hands  of  a  feeble  old  priest  might  be  suffocated 
and  die  under  water.  In  such  cases,  were  the  children 
validly  baptized,  and  would  they  be  saved  ?  The  Doc- 
tor allowed  that  the  baptism  of  immersion  was  good, 
and  that  it  represented  the  burial  of  Christ,  and  emer- 
sion his  resurrection",;  however,  that  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other  were  of  the  essence  of  baptism,  and  of  course, 
in  the  cases  supposed,  the  children  would  be  both  bap- 
tized and  saved.  The  Doctor  asks,  whether  if  any  one 
should  immerse  a  child  in  a  river  with  intention  to  take 
him  out,  and  by  any  unforeseen  accident  he  should  not 
be  able,  and  the  child  should  die  under  water,  it  would 
be  valid  baptism  ?  Most  certainly  it  would.  Even  if 
any  one  should  throw  a  child  into  water  with  an  inten- 
tion of  taking  away  his  life,  as  emersion  is  not  essential, 
the  child  would  receive  a  valid  baptism,  and  be  entitled 
to  eternal  life.  In  confirmation  of  this  opinion,  the 
Doctor  quotes  the  casuists  Panormitanus,  Rosella,  Vic- 
toria, ISuarez,  and  Vasquez.  Preposterous  as  this  casu- 
istry may  appear,  the  learned  Spaniard  is  a  close  and 
consequential  reasoner,  and  admitting  as  he  did  church 
laws  for  data,  he  could  not  conclude  any  otherwise  than 
he  did,  so  that  the  iniquity  of  the  affair  doth  not  origin- 
ate in  the  Casuist,  but  in  the  doctrines  and  laws  of  the 
church,  which  such  men  have  sold  themselves  to  sup- 
port. Happily  a  Protestant,  holding  the  sufliiciency  of 
scripture,  and  squaring  his  religion  by  the  plain  institu- 
tions of  it,  hath  nothing  to  do  with  casuistry  of  this 
kind,  and  no  unbeliever  can  make  any  advantage  against 
Christianity  on  account  of  it. 

xiii.  The  worst  consequences  that  followed  the  bap- 
tism of  babes  were  the  loss  of  principle  in  the  baptized, 
and  the  loss  of  evidence  to  the  truth  of  Christianity  itself. 

(7)  Joan.  Belethi  National  dhin.  offic.   Antwerpis.  1562.  Cap.  ex, 


502  SEVERAL  CONSEQUENCES  OF,  &C. 

A  virtuous  profession  of  the  Christian  religion  is  found- 
ed on  faith  in  Christ,  and  from  this  first  element  all  after 
actions  naturally  flow ;  but  where,  as  in  professing  infants, 
the  primordial  element  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  religion 
rises  on  a  postulatum,  or  assumed  proof,  and  can  be  no 
more  than  a  prejudice.  The  lives  of  such  nominal 
Christians  give  too  much  evidence  that  diey  are  Chris- 
tians only  by  prepossession,  and  hence  come  their  innu- 
merable errors,  passions,  and  vices.  Having  no  rea- 
sons of  their  own  for  either  faith  or  virtue,  they  know 
nothing  of  the  religion,  which  they  profess,  and  avoid 
none  of  die  crimes,  which  it  was  intended  to  destroy. 
Hence  blaspheming  Christians,  debauched  Christians, 
christian  highwaymen  and  assassins,  some  whom  justice 
is  obliged  for  the  good  of  society  to  imprison,  or  to  confine 
in  chains,  and  others,  whom  the  same  justice  is  necessi- 
tated publickly  to  execute. 

xiv.  Christianity  to  be  supported  by  evidence  sustains 
a  great  loss.  In  vain  are  evidences  of  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity published  in  books  ;  either  unbelievers  do  not 
read  them,  or  if  they  do,  the  force  of  arguments  is  borne 
down  by  the  torrent  of  impiety  and  injustice  of  others  call- 
ed Christian.  Infant  baptism,  then,  does  individuals  no 
good,  and  it  does  the  cause  a  great  deal  of  harm  by 
hardening  some,  and  by  discouraging  others  from  even 
inquiring  into  the  only  hope  of  man.  A  great  loss  of 
order  and  pleasure :  a  great  acquisition  of  disorder  and 
pain ! 

The  ills  that  overflow  society  from  the  ignorance  and 
depravity  of  the  people  at  large  are  too  notorious  to 
need  any  exemplification  ;  and  they  are  only  curable,  if 
curable,  by  means  of  a  wise,  a  virtuous,  a  religious  edu- 
cation. There  is  no  remedy  for  the  parents,  but  edu- 
cation is  a  probable  preventive  for  their  children,  and 
then  the  question,  which  hath  perplexed  many  a  good 
man,  would  be  answered,  why  does  Providence  commit 
the  care  of  so  many  children  to  such  abandoned  par- 
ents ?  Fas  est  et  ah  hoste  doceri.  If  Charlemagne  led 
all  Europe  into  servility  and  profligacy  by  only  vitiat- 
ing the  education  of  children,  by  appointing  monks  to 
blast  and  perish  their  understandings,  and  teach  them 
even  to  take  religion  upon  trust,  would  not  direct  con- 
trary means  produce  direct  contrary  effects  ?    There  is 


THE    BAPTISM    OF    ABORTIVES.  303 

no  depicting  the  deplorable  ignorance  and  horrible  vice 
of  the  tenth  century  ;  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  they 
were  natural  consequences  of  the  eighth  and  ninth,  ancJ 
the  more  cliristian  the  more  wicked  thev  became. 


CHAP.  XXIX. 

THE    BAPTISM    OF    ABORTIVES. 

IF  history  be  narration  of  the  %\)hole  truth,  this  chap- 
ter must  be  inserted  ;  but  as  the  subject  is  voluminous 
abroad,  where  the  practice  is  common,  and  Casuists 
are  obliged  to  discuss  it  at  large  in  every  point  of  view, 
so  in  a  country  where  it  is  not  in  use,  though  the  story 
must  be  stated,  yet  it  may  well  admit  of  abbreviation. 

The  baptism  of  abortives  proceeded  from  an  excess 
of  benevolence  under  the  misguidance  of  an  erroneous 
doctrine.  It  is,  undoubtedly,  the  last  stage  of  the  cor- 
ruption of  baptism,  and  if  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Roman 
church  to  exhibit  this,  it  was  because  baptism  had  been 
so  corrupted  before  the  pope  rose  to  the  summit  of  his 
power,  that  it  followed  of  course,  and  necessarily  flowed 
out  of  the  generally  received  doctrine.  The  Roman 
Catholicks  were  not  the  authors  of  this  baptism,  but  a 
very  ancient  doctrine  ripened  in  their  hands  into  this 
practice. 

Men  were  never  baptized  for  the  sake  of  being  baptized, 
but  for  the  sake  of  something  connected  with  baptism. 
This  something  was  at  first  a  profession  of  Christianity, 
and  nothing  more ;  and  baptism  was  necessary  to  the  pro- 
fession. It  was  always  supposed,  that  to  be  ,a  christian 
was  necessary  to  salvation  ;  and  as  all  Christians  profess- 
ed Christianity  by  being  baptized,  the  connexion  be- 
tween baptism  and  salvation  was  very  early  admitted  in 
the  church  :  but  so  admitted  as  always  to  include  some- 
thing more  than  baptism  ;  something  that  like  a  seed 
contained  in  it  all  the  stamina  of  future  fruits. 

If  it  be  true,  as  some  very  learned  men  affirm,  that  in 
the  second  century  the  Egyptian  priests  initiated  into 
the  mysteries  of  Isis  by  bathing  candidates  in  water  ; 
and  if  the  Alexandrian  Jews  admitted  their  proselytes  by 
the  same  ceremony  :  it  follows,  that  in  the  beginning  of 
the  third  century  baptism  alone  was  not  sufficiently  dis^ 


304  THE   BAPTISM   OF   ABORTIVES. 

tinctive  of  a  Christian ;  and  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  include  something  else  in  it,  in  order  to  support  the 
vague  opinion,  that  baptism  was  necessary  to  salvation 
(1).     Sir  John  Marsham  quotes  a  passage  from  Apuleius 
to  prove  that  people  were  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of 
Isis  by  bathing  (2).     Apuleius  was  a  native  of  Madaura 
in  Africa  ;  a  city  formerly  belonging  to  Syphax,  then  to 
Masinissa,  and,  in  the  2d  century,  when  Apuleius  flour- 
ished, a  Roman  colony.    This  learned  philosopher,  prac- 
tised the  law,  and  directed  the  publick  games  in  his  own 
country.    His  book,  entitled  the  Golden  Assis,  is  a  satire 
on  magicians,  priests,  and  cheats.     If  it  be  all  taken  for 
true  history,  it  is  taken  for  more  than  it  is  worth,  for 
the  most  judicious  Pagans  of  his  own  time  thought  it  a 
romance.     The  writer  pretends  to  have  gotten  himself 
initiated  into  all  mysteries,  for  the  sake  of  knowing  the 
bottom  of  all  in  order  to  expose  them  to  contempt. 
His  pretence  of  being  bathed  at  his  initiation  into  the 
mysteries  of  Isis  may  be  romantick  in  regard  to  him- 
self,  and  yet  it  may  be  a  true  report  concerning  the 
Egyptian  mode  of  initiating  (3).      Sir  John  quotes  a 
passage  from  the  philosopher  Arrian,  to  prove  that  the 
Jews  admitted  proselytes  by  bathing  ( l).     Arrian  was  a 
Greek,  born  at  Nicomedia  in  Bithynia,  and  flourished  in 
the  second  century.     He  was  a  disciple  of  Epictetus, 
and  published  the  maxims  taught  by  his  tutor,  which 
were  those  of  a  just  and  beautiful  morality  :  but  wheth- 
er the  passage  in  question  regards  Jews,  or  Christians, 
who  in  the  first  ages  were  often  confounded  with  Jews, 
may  admit  of  a  doubt  (5)     The  Jews  themselves  are 
not   agreed   on    the   subject   of   baptizing    proselytes. 
Some  of  the  Rabbles  ridicule  John  and  Jesus  for  baptiz- 
ing, and  ask  :   "  Who  gave  John  authority  to  institute 
baptism  ?   On  what  law  could  he  ground  the  fancy  ? 
Neither  on  the  old  nor  the  new  :    for  it  is  no  where 
commanded  to  plunge  persons  or  proselytes  into  water." 
On  the  contrary,  the  writers  of  the  Mi^^chna,  the  text  of 
the  Talmud,   who  flourished  in  the  beginning  of  the 
third  century,  affirm,  that  the  Jews  baptized  thiir  prose- 
lytes :    and  this  is  the  earliest  mention  of  proselyte-bap- 

(1)  Joh.  Marshami  Can.  Chronic.  Sac.  ix.  Baptismus  Fibraorum 

(2)  Metam  Lib.  ix.  (4)  In  Epictet.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  9. 

(3)  See  his  life  in  Bayle.  (5)  Bayle. Arrian. 


THE    BAPTISM    OF    ABORTIVES.  305 

tism(6).  It  is  therefore  highly  probable,  that  in  the 
time  of  Origen,  both  Egyptians  and  Jews  did  initiate  by- 
dipping  in  water  ;  and  of  course  that  ba[)tism  in  water 
was  not  alone  sufficiently  descriptive  of  Uiat  baptism, 
which  was  held  necessary  to  the  profession  of  Christian- 
ity, and  so  to  salvation. 

Further,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  it  was  customary 
with  the  Greeks,  when  persons  re-appeartd,  alive  and 
well,  who  had  been  long  absent  either  in  war  or  travel, 
and  had  been  reputed  dead,  and  had  received  funeral 
honours,  to  account  them  deuterogeneis,  born  again,  or 
come  to  life  again  ;  and  the  return  was  called  ecnagenne^ 
sis,  or  palingenesia,  a  being  born  again  (7).  The  Ro- 
mans adopted  the  phraseology,  and  a  law  of  the  empire 
declares,  that  slaves  manumitted  under  certain  condi- 
tions should  enjoy  the  right  of  regeneration  ;  that  is, 
the  manumission  should  be  accounted  in  the  eye  ol  the 
law  a  natural  birth  ;  they  should  eater  into  the  same 
state  of  perfect  freedom  as  if  they  had  been  free-borr)  (8). 
Origen,  who  was  full  of  the  lore  of  Egyptian,  Jewish, 
and  Grecian  literature,  finding  in  the  conversation  of 
Jesus  with  Nicodemus,  nvater,  nevj-binh,  and  kingdom  of 
heaiien  united,  without  attending  to  the  connexion  and 
drift  of  the  discourse,  applied  the  passage  to  baptisinj; 
and  it  seemed  to  answer  his  purpose  fully,  for  here  was 
the  external  sign,  and  the  internal  something,  and  both 
connected  with  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  doctrine, 
however,  had  some  difficulties,  especially  to  infants,  that 
is,  Catechumens,  and  martyrs,  who  might,  and  in  some 
cases  must,  die  without  baptism.  Origen  was  a  singu- 
lar genius,  and  he  got  over  all  difficulties  by  distinguish- 
ing baptistn  into  three  sorts.  Baptism  was  fluminis, 
Jlaminis,  sanguinis  :  that  is,  W^yer- baptism  :  fire  bap- 
tism :  Z'/o<?r/- baptism.  River- baptism  is  a  beirig  dipped 
in  ivater.  The  baptism  of  fire  is  repentance,  or  a  dispo- 
sition to  receive  grace.  Blood-baptism  is  martyrdom 
for  Christ.  In  case  the  first  can  lot  be  come  at,  the  two 
last  supply  its  place,  and  a  person  m.iy  be  saved  without 

(6)  Dr.  Gale's  Refiections  on  Wall's  History.  Let.  ix. 

(7)  Marsham  ub:  sup. 

(8)  nxXiy/inina.  etiam  facta  est  ex  auctoritate  Caisarea,  cum  mutaretuT 
aatalium  condiiio.  Noveil.  IxxvUi.  JusiiaisLn,  Cap.i.  JOe  jure  annutornm,  Ixc. 

39 


$0^  THE    BAPTISM    OF    ABORTIVES. 

the  application  of  water  (9).  It  is  wonderful,  that  both 
Catholicks  and  Protestants  have  received  this  comment 
for  the  scripture  doctrine  of  baptism,  and  differed  only 
in  their  manner  of  explaining  it,  as  Cardinal  Bellarmine 
very  fairly  observes  (l).  They  were  all  led  into  the 
mistake  by  applying  to  natural  infants  what  Origen  had 
said  of  only  youth  and  adults.  Origen's  infants  were 
capable  of  repentance  and  martyrdom  :  but  the  infants 
of  the  Reformers  were  incapable  of  both.  In  Origen 
the  distinction  was  proper  :  in  them  the  contrary. 

The  doctrines  of  the  necessity,  and  efficacy  of  bap- 
tism, became  more  and  more  obscure  in  proportion  as 
it  approached  to  natural  infants.  Scripture  had  implied 
that  baptism  was  necessary  to  the  remission  of  sinSj^ 
that  is,  to  the  putting  off' of  a  profession  of  vice,  or  false 
religion,  and  to  the  profession  of  Christianity  (2).  Ori- 
gen had  said,  baptism  was  necessary  to  the  remission  of 
sins,  meaning  to  a  profession  of  Christianity,  and  to  e- 
ternal  life,  the  end  of  that  profession  ;  explaining  it,  how- 
ever, so  as  to  save  harmless  people  preparing  for  bap- 
tism, and  especially  such  as  were  put  to  death  before 
they  could  reduce  their  holy  resolutions  to  practice  : 
but  when  baptism  came  to  be  administered  to  children 
destitute  of  moral  qualities,  as  incapable  of  resolving  as 
of  acting,  the  theory  of  the  necessity  of  baptism  sounded 
very  harsh.  Gregory  Nazianzen  felt  this,  and  qualified 
the  doctrine  accordingly.  In  that  famous  oration  where 
he  recommended  the  baptism  of  litde  ones  at  three 
years  of  age,  and  urged  the  necessity  of  it  to  babes  in 
case  of  danger  of  death,  he  took  care  expressly  to  de- 
clare what,  in  his  opinion,  infants  would  suffer,  by  dying 
unbaptized.  Three  positions  give  his  precise  meaning. 
Adults  who  wilfully  neglect  to  be  baptized  will  be  con- 
demned. Baptized  infants  dying  in  infancy  will  be  sav- 
ed. Infants  dying  unbaptized  will  neither  be  glorified 
nor  punished  :  not  punished,  for  it  was  not  their  fault  ; 
not  glorified,  for  they  v\ere  not  sealed,  or  initiated  ;  as 
a5<pfeifiif6Vi  fAiv.    When  this  doctrine  came  into  the  hands 

(9)  Origenis  exhort,  ad  Martyriujn  studio  Joii,  Rodolfi  Wetstenii, 
Basilese  1674.    p.  191.    T5re*tv»is  ^ufiii. 

(1)  Disputat.  de  controv.  Christiance  fid.  adv.  hujus  temp  hxreticos. 
Tom.  iii.  Paris.  1608.  Lib.  i.  Cap  vi.  Kemnitius  dissentit  a  catholicis  in 
inodo  explicandi  lijec  tria  baptismata,  sanguinis,  flamiuis,  fluminis. 

(2)  Mark  i.  4. Luke  iiL  3 xxiv.  47 Acts  ii.  38.  -  -  -  3xU.  16. 


THE  BAPTISM  OF  ABORTIVES.        307 

of  the  barbarous  Africans,  they  made  no  scruple  to 
affirm  both  in  their  writings,  and  in  their  canons,  that 
infants,  dying  unbaptized  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity, 
were  inevitably  punished  with  the  torment  of  everlasting 
fire  (3).  This  doctrine  was  the  parent  of  the  baptism  of 
Abortives  :  and  this  doctrine  in  all  its  stages  was  called 
an  apostolical  tradition.  This  was  a  corps  de  reserve  to 
the  fathers  ;  but  they  sometimes  forgot  themselves,  and 
no  regard  is  due  to  what  they  say  on  apostolical  tradi- 
tion ;  as  for  instance,  Jerom  says,  elders  are  the  same  as 
bishops  ;  consequently,  they  and  deacons  are  the  only 
two  orders  of  officers  in  the  apostolical  churches.  Jerom 
had  forgot,  that  a  little  before,  he  had  affirmed,  it  was  an 
apostolical  tradition  that  there  were  three  orders,  bish= 
ops,  elders,  and  deacons  (4). 

The  men  who  embraced  the  doctrine  of  the  necessity 
of  baptism  to  salvation,  did  not  foresee  where  it  would 
end.  They  preached  up  the  propagation  of  sin,  and  car- 
ried the  ideas  of  guilt  and  punishment  over  from  actions 
to  nature,  and  so  obliged  their  successors  at  every  step 
to  plunge  themselves  deeper  and  deeper  in  difficulties  (5). 

The  apostle  John  observes,  that  the  Gnosticks  were 
not  of  Christians,  although  they  went  out  from  them. 
This  was  very  true  :  they  had  embraced  the  principles 
of  Gnosticism  before  they  heard  of  Jesus  ;  and  one  was, 
the  evil  properties  of  matter  :  in  other  words,  the  univer- 
sal pollution  of  nature.  When  they  heard  that  Jesus,  a 
son  of  Adam,  was  a  perfectly  good  man,  they  reconciled 
it  to  their  philosophy  by  affirming  that  Jesus  had  not  a 
real,  but  an  apparent  body.  This  is  what  John  intends 
when  he  says  :  they  denied  that  Jesus  was. come  in  the 
flesh  (^6).  When  they  heard  of  the  resurrection,  they 
denied  that  of  the  bodies  of  men.  When  in  after  times 
the  fathers  had  admitted  universal  pollution  of  human  na- 
ture, and  had  assigned  to  baptism  the  office  of  cleansing 
it,  the  case  of  the  Old  Testament  saints  came  in  due  order 
before  them.  To  get  over  this  difficulty,  they  imagined 
a  spiritual  baptism,  so  that  when  David  said,  wash  me, 
and  I  shall  be  clean,  he  wished  to  be  baptized ;   and  St. 

(3)  Wetsten.  ubi  sup.  p.  126. 

(4)  Tom.  ii.  Mpist.  ad  Evagrlum,  apiid  Wetsten.  p.  159. 

(5)  Concil.  Trident.  Jew.  V.  De  peccato  oririnali,2, 
(6) -1  John  ii.  19.  -  -2  John  vii. 


308  THE    BAPTISM    OF    ABORTIVES. 

Ambrose  said,  to  will  was  to  do  in  the  case  of  baptism. 
For  these  purposes  they  made  out  eight  sorts-af  baptism 
(7).  There  was  the  baptism  ot  the  world  in  Noah's 
flood,  and  the  baptism  of  Israelites  to  Moses  in  the  red 
sea,  and  so  on.  When  the  case  of  J(^hn  the  Baptist 
came  before  them,  St.  Grej^ory  baptized  him  in  spirit, 
in  the  old  testament  mode,  and  St.  Austin  affirmed, 
Jesus  literally  baptized  him  in  the  new  testament  mode. 
When  the  Reformers  avowed  the  doctrine  ol"  the  univer- 
sal pollution  of  nature,  and  the  necessity  of  baptism  to 
salvation,  they  distinguished  necesaity  into  two  kinds  : 
the  one  was  absohue  necessity,  the  other  was  necessity 
secundum  quid.  They  explained  this  by  another  case. 
Conjugal  love,  said  they,  is  a  duty,  but  it  is  the  duty 
of  only  married  persons,  and  it  is  their  duty  only  while 
they  are  in  a  married  state.  In  the  final  settlement  of 
the  business,  the  church  of  Rome  affirmed  the  necessity 
of  baptism  to  salvation  in  all  conceivable  cases  :  but  bap- 
tism in  that  church  stands  for  two  inseparable  things, 
ivater  the  sign,  and  grace  the  thing  signified.  Protes- 
tants, who  contended  that  the  Romans  were  nothing 
but  Papists,  they  themselves  were  Catholicks,  laid 
down  the  same  doctrine,  but  qualified  so  as,  in  cer- 
tain cases,  to  suppose  the  thing  signified  may  be,  and 
in  order  to  salvation,  must  be,  where  the  sign  can- 
not be  united  to  it.  IVater  the  sign,  and  grace  the  thing 
signified,  both  remain  to  the  Romans  :  grace  of  necessity, 
and  water  where  it  can  be,  remain  with  the  Protestants : 
so  that  in  the  churches  of  the  latter  there  remains  the 
absolute  necessity  of  one j  and  that  the  invisible  part  of  the 
old  Catholick  baptism  :  and  in  the  former  both  are  re- 
tained. It  must  be  allowed,  the  reformation  is  an  amend- 
ment ;  it  is  one  step  backvrard  from  a  horrible  excess. 
Retaining  the  necessity  of  water,  to  cleanse  human  na- 
ture from  sin  in  order  to  salvation,  exposed  the  Catho- 
licks to  almost  insurmountable  difficulties.  The  subject 
will  be  lightly  touched  elsewhere,  and  lightly  touched, 
is  all  it  must  be  (8).  It  is  only  mentioned  here  for 
form's-sake.  A  discussion  is  too  shocking  :  and  to  the 
feelings  of  parents  cruel,  insupportably  cruel.  Human 
nature  must  be  ascertained  :  this  is  not  always  easy. 

(7)  Suicer.  obs.  s.  s.  c.  iil.  Baptismus-  -i.  Fluminis-  -ii.  Flaminis-  -ni.  San- 
guinis- -iv.  Diluvium-  -v.  Mosis-  -vi.  Legalis-  -vii.  Christ-  -Tiii.  Penitentiae. 
His  speciebus  superaddit  Cedrenus,  in  compend.  hist.  ix.    Baptismus  arens. 

(8)  In  the  chapter  on  Aspersion, 


MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES,    &C.  309 

Water  is  essential :  this  in  some  cases  is  impossible  to 
be  applied  :  hence  discussions  on  chymical  liquors,  sur- 
gical instruments  :  and  so  on.  The  union  of  the  soul  to 
the  material  form  must  be  determined :  hence  indelicate 
scrutinies,  and  the  necessity  of  miracles,  to  recal  the  de- 
parted spirit,  and  to  confine  it  in  the  body  till  the  sav- 
ing benefit  is  applied.  It  is  very  hard  to  be  obliged  to 
work  miracles  in  the  eighteenth  century.  No,  the  sub- 
ject must  not  be  described  by  a  Protestant :  custom,  sec- 
ond nature,  may  have  rendered  it  innocent  to  a  Catho- 
lick,  perhaps  an  act  of  benevolence  :  but  the  world  are 
not  all  callous,  and  nature  hath  begun  to  rebel  against 
system.  The  Creator  of  the  universe  hath  so  wisely 
constructed  society,  that  ills  work  to  their  own  cure. 
Baptism  rose  pure  in  the  East  :  it  rolled  Westward  di- 
minished in  lustre,  often  beclouded  with  mists,  and 
sometimes  under  a  total  eclipse  :  at  length  it  escaped 
the  eye,  and  was  lost  among  attenuated  particles,  shades, 
non -entities,  and  monsters  :  then  it  took  a  contrary  di- 
rection, and  probably  in  time  it  will  emerge  from  every 
depression,  and  shine  in  its  original  simplicity  and  excel- 
lence. 


CHAP.  XXX. 

MISCELLANEOUS   ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR  REMOTELY  CONNECTED 
WITH  BAPTISM. 

THERE  are  two  kinds  of  baptismal  connections, 
the  one  natural,  the  other  arbitrary.  There  is  a  nat- 
ural connection  between  the  baptism  of  a  believer  and 
freedom,  as  there  is  between  that  of  a  babe  and  spiritual 
dominion.  This  natural  union  hath  been  treated  of  as 
necessary  to  argument,  from  the  nature  and  fitness  of 
things  in  the  christian  religion,  to  the  nature  and  fitness 
of  things  in  the  world.  Believers'  baptism  accords 
with  the  nature  of  man  and  the  happiness  of  society, 
as  both  are  understood  in  good  governments  :  infant 
baptism  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  exercise  of  ty- 
ranny, as  it  is  practised  in  families  where  the  patria  po- 
testas  deprives  individuals  of  religious  liberty,  and  in 
govern mei»ts  where  the  people  are  not  allowed  to  choose 
their  owij  religion.  At  present  arbitrary  connections 
are  to  be  considered,  and  chiefly  in  that  community 


510  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES    NEARLY    OR 

where  they  were  invented  and  practised — the  church  of 
Rome. 

A  man,  who  would  investigate  this  subject  properly, 
ought  for  a  moment  to  turn  his  eyes  from  Christianity, 
ar>d  fix  them  on  the  Roman  empire,  for  the  same  reason 
that  he  who  is  goin,:^  to  account  for  the  misappHcation 
of  an  immense  fortune,  ought  first  to  examine  the  qual- 
ities of  the  young  heir  who  received  it.  It  should  be 
observed,  that  Rome,  from  its  foundation,  was  inspired 
with  a  spirit  of  dominion  ;  that  in  process  of  time  the 
fetters  which  the  citizens  had  forged  for  others,  were 
by  a  faction  fastened  on  themselves  ;  that  Julius  C^sar 
had  butchered  a  million  of  his  fellow-creatures  to  obtaia 
absolute  power ;  and  that,  if  in  the  reign  of  his  suc- 
cessor, when  Jesus  was  born,  the  whole  world  was  at 
peace,  it  was  the  quiet  of  a  prison  where  dread  forbade 
resistance,  and  where  prudence  preached  acquiescence. 
When  a  succession  of  cruel  Emperors  caused  Rome 
to  flow  with  the  blood  of  its  inhabitants,  and  when  no 
man's  life  was  secure,  every  one  wished  to  be  master 
for  his  own  safety.  Competitors  for  power  divided  the 
empire  :  Goths  and  Vandals  dismembered  it ;  every 
little  tyrant  had  Caesar  in  his  eye,  and  bishops  in  great 
cities  being  become,  by  the  nature  of  their  office,  and  by 
the  gifts  of  their  disciples,  men  of  great  political  conse- 
quence, applied,  as  was  natural,  all  the  means  in  their 
power  to  render  themselves  independent,  for  the  sake  of 
securing  their  own  safety  and  freedom. 

Having  surveyed  the  empire,  the  eye  should  fix  it- 
self steadily  and  distinctly  on  that  class  of  people,  who 
have  been  pleased  to  call  themselves  the  church  of 
Rome  :  for  they  were  the  men,  who  made  the  arbitrary 
connections  in  quest.  This  is  a  most  perplexed  and 
intricate  subject  :  but  a  little  cool  attention  may  catch 
the  clue,  and  that  caught,  the  work  is  done,  for  all  the 
rest  follows  of  course. 

There  are  in  the  New  Testament  three  sorts  of  epis- 
tles. One  class  was  written  to  individuals  :  as,  the 
presbyter  unto  the  well-beloved  Gains :  the  presbyter 
unto  the  elect  lady  and  her  children  :  Paul  to  Timothy : 
Paul  to  Titus  :  Paul  to  Philemon,  Apphia,  and  Archip- 
pus.  The  second  class  was  addressed  to  churches  : 
as  Paul  and  Sosthenes  unto  the  ckurck  of  God  at  Co- 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.         oil 

rinth  :  Paul  and  Timothy  unto  the  church  of  God  at 
Corinth  ;  Paul  and  all  the  brethren  with  him  unto  the 
churches  of  Galatia  :  and  so  on.  The  third  class  was 
addressed  at  large  to  all  persons  of  a  certain  description  : 
as,  to  the  Hebrews  by  some  anonymous  writer:  to  the 
twelve  tribes  scattered  abroad  by  James  :  to  such  of 
the  Jewish  tribes  as  lived  dispersedly  in  Greece  by  Pe- 
ter :  to  such  among  them  as  had  obtained  like  precious 
faith  with  the  apostles  by  the  same  Peter  :  and  so  forth. 
The  episde  of  Paul  to  the  Romans  belongs  to  the  third 
class,  and  it  is  addressed  to  such  of  the  Jews  at  Rome 
as  had  not  received  any  spiritual  gift,  and  were  not  es- 
tablished in  any  form  of  christian  communion,  although 
their  belief  of  the  prophecies  was  universally  known 
and  applauded,  and  they  were  called,  as  all  their  nation 
had  been  by  the  prophets  in  the  name  of  God,  an  holy 
nation,  a  peculiar  people,  and  so  on.  As  for  the  church 
at  Rome,  they  assembled  at  the  house  of  Aquila  and 
Priscilla,  and  Paul  besought  these  Jews  to  greet  them  in 
his  name.  The  first  is  the  class  of  people,  who  were 
out  of  the  synagogue,  but  not  in  the  church,  who  had 
a  general  knowledge  of  Christianity,  but  mixed  with 
enthusiastical  ideas  and  inveterate  customs  of  Judaism  ; 
who,  probably,  were  the  true  parents  of  the  modern 
church  of  Rome,  and  who,  when  they  got  into  power,  in- 
stead of  greeting  churches  in  private  houses,  suppressed 
them,  established  their  own  theology  by  law,  and  denom- 
inated themselves  the  church  of  Rome.  On  this 
subject  it  may  suffice  to  hint,  that  by  such  men  afterward, 
united  with  the  haughty  Romans,  the  Aaronical  system, 
of  religion  was  lifted  into  a  throne,  and  erected  on  the 
ruins  of  the  New  Testament,  and  of  the  reason  and 
the  rights  of  mankind. 

Unconnected  as  baptism  may  seem  to  be  with  all 
this,  it  was,  however,  the  chief  instrument  of  acquiring 
power,  and  producing  a  revolution  in  favour  of  pontif- 
ical  dominion.  By  this  the  hierarchy  was  formed,  and 
by  this,  and  not  by  argument,  it  was  chiefly  supported. 

BAPTISM  CONNECTED  WITH  THE  ROMAN  HIERARCHYo 

It  hath  been  said  before,  that  in  the  reign  of  the  Em- 
peror Nero,  Plautius  Lateranus,  who  was  consul  elect, 
in  pure  zeal  for  the  liberty  of  his  country,  entered  into  ^ 


312  MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES    NEARLY    OR 

conspiracy  to  dethrone  the  Emperor.  The  design  was 
defeated.  Plautius  was  put  to  death,  and  the  Lateran 
estate  was  confiscated  to  the  crown.  Several  succeeding 
Emperors  resided  there,  as  it  should  seem,  by  some  an- 
tiquities found  there.  The  Emperor  Constantine  gave 
bishop  Sylvester  this  old  imperial  mansion  for  a  sort  of 
parsonage  house,  and  here,  in  this  remarkable  spot,  sa- 
cred to  the  love  of  liberty,  was  the  first  artificial  baptiste- 
ry in  Rome  erected  for  the  destruction  of  it  (l)  Sixty 
years  before,  there  v/ere  forty-four  of  the  Jewish  chris- 
tian congregations  in  Rome.  Till  the  time  of  Sylvester 
they  had  baptized  either  in  private  baths,  or  in  subterra- 
nean waters,  or  in  any  place  without  the  city.  From 
this  period  at  proper  seasons  of  the  year  all  their  Cate- 
chumens went  to  be  baptized  at  the  Lateran  Baptistery. 
The  Lateran  church  soon  rose  near  the  Baptistery,  as 
that  had  done  near  the  bishop's  house,  and  nothing  can 
be  more  natural  than  that  the  other  congregations  should 
look  up  to  tlie  bishop  of  the  church  at  the  baptistery,  as 
a  friend  to  whom  they  were  all  obliged  ;  who  was  the 
most  proper  person  to  be  consulted  about  times  and 
modes  of  baptism,  administrators  of  the  ordinance,  choice 
of  teachers,  and  regulation  of  all  other  ecclesiastical  af- 
fairs. In  process  of  time  what  convenience  and  perhaps 
conscience  had  begun,  custom  established  as  laws  nec- 
essary to  the  well-l3eing  of  the  society.  The  bishop  of 
St.  John  at  the  Baptistery  seemed  a  common  parent  to 
all,  who  were  born  again  of  water  and  the  spirit  on  his 
premises,  and  he  retains  the  tide  of  holy  father  to  this  day. 
In  publick  meetings  the  arm  chair  was  naturally  given 
to  him.  The  other  teachers  in  the  city,  necessarily  on 
their  Jewish  principles,  ranked  below  him  :  at  his  de- 
cease they  complimented  then\selves  by  pa\  ing  him  due 
honours  ;  and  as  the  peace  of  all  their  churches  depend- 
ed on  it,  they  interested  themselves  in  the  choice  of  a 
successor. 

One  of  the  strongest  prejudices  of  unbelievers  against 
Christianity  is,  that  the  monstrous  system  of  Popery 
grew  out  of  it.  This,  ho\^  ever,  is  a  fallacy.  Had  the 
church  of  Rome  proceeded  from  the  house  of  Aquila, 
the  argument  might  have  some  force  :  but  if  it  proceeded 
from  the  unembodied  Jews,  before  mentigr.ed,  the  prej- 

(1)  Jobi  Ludolf  i  Lexicon.  JEthlop.  Land.  1661.  pag.  414.  Baptisterium, 
Btagnum,  piscina,  ubi  lismines  solent  baplizari. 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.  313 

udice  falls  to  the  ground.  The  hierarchy  was  formed 
long  before  Constantine  established  it,  and  the  44  city 
congregations,  described  by  C}prian  sixty  years  before, 
were  all  in  union  with  one  high  priest,  and  subject  to  as 
much  control  as  govern nieMt  uould  permiv  (j).  Their 
ecclesiastical  polity  had  divided  the  ci'y  into  regions. 
Their  titular  churches  bad  been  instiiuted  for  baptism 
and  the  burial  of  the  dead,  '.rhere  wete  real  ciiristiaii 
churches  in  the  city,  witii  whom  they  iield  no  commu- 
nion, and  whom  they  persecuted  as  far  as  they  could. 
Constaiitine  only  brought  the  great  fliction  into  publick  : 
they  suppressed  the  rest.  This  period  of  the  papal 
history  is  so  confused  with  fables,  and  of  so  little  con- 
sequence to  Protestants,  that  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
unravel  it,  and  reduce  it  to  precision.  Two  or  three 
hints  relative  to  ecclesiastical  antiquities  may  serve. 
Pope  Sylvester  dedicated  the  first  publick  edifice  of  the 
party  at  Rome  on  the  ninth  of  November.  It  is  observed 
as  a  festival  to  this  da)  (3).  As  this  was  at  the  old  Lateran 
palace,  it  was  with  propriety  called  the  palace  of  the  Sa- 
viour; Basilica  Sahatoris:  tiiat  addition  to,  or  that  room 
of  the  old  imperial  mansion  which  was  set  apart  for  the 
worship  of  Christ.  Hence,  probably,  came  the  name  of 
cathedral  churches ;  each  is  called  basilica,  a  palace  : 
right  at  the  Lateran,  and  with  a  few  exceptions,  of  which 
Canterbury  is  one,  wrong  every  where  else.  Such  as 
were  called  so  before,  were  allegorically  named  from  Sol- 
omon's temple.  At  the  same  time,  to  distinguish  uie 
place  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  Jesus  from  others  ded* 
icated  to  pagan  deities,  Sylvester  put  up  either  a  statue 
or  a  painting  of  Jesus.  The  temples  of  other  city  gods 
were  thus  distinguished.  Perhaps  this,  which  at  first 
was  a  mere  sign,  was  the  true  origin  of  pictures,  images, 
and  all  ecclesiastical  idolatry  (4).  Although  the  Catho- 
licks  boast  of  the  grandeur  of  the  first  Lateran  church, 
yet,  it  seems,  the  most  sacred  piece  of  furniture  was  a 
wooden  table,  which,  however,  they  called  an  altar ;  and 
agreeably  to  this  Jewish  idea,  they  denominated  the  men 
who  offi.  iated  there,  Levites  (5). 

(2)  MablUonii  Mus.  Ital. Tom.2.  In  Ord.  Rom.  Comment.  Cap.  iii.  Be 
antiquis  basiltcis  ac  tituUs  urbit,  de  diacoitit,  et  de  septem  regionibus  eccUsi- 
asticit. 

(3)  Missal.  Rom.  Nov.  ix.    BedicatioJSasUioaSalvatoris. 

(4)  ifrev/ar. /?om.  Antwerpis  mdclxxxjUi.  p,  1080.  Lectio.  V.    (5)  Ibid. 

40 


314  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES   NEARLY  OR 

The  same  effects,  which  the  baptistery  had  produced 
at  Rome,  followed  in  all  other  cities,  where  it  was  erect- 
ed. There  was  one,  and  but  one  in  Venice,  Naples, 
Florence  (6),  Pisa,  Bologna,  Viterbo,  Milan,  Modena, 
Verona,  Ravenna,  Aquileia,  and  many  other  cities. 
Some  have  only  one  to  this  day,  and  the  priests  of  other 
churches  in  the  same  cities  cannot  baptize  in  their  own 
fonts,  till  they  fetch  a  little  water  from  thai  in  die  cathe- 
dral to  mix  with  their  own,  in  order  to  i^ive  validity  to 
the  baptism.  This  is  the  practice  in  the  diocese  of  Mi- 
lan. In  all  these  places  the  piiest  of  the  congregation 
that  claimed  the  baptistery  became  a  prelate,  the  other 
priests  in  the  city  his  clergy ;  and  some  of  them  were 
called  his  cardinal  priests  and  deacons,  chiefly  because 
they  assisted  him  to  administer  baptism  (7).  From 
these  sprang  suffragans,  prebendaries,  canons,  chapters, 
conclaves  and  councils  (8).  There  were  originally  in 
each  city  three  sorts  of  places  of  worship  (''),  The  first 
were  oratories,  vestries,  or  a  sort  of  domtstick  chapels. 
Here  any  of  the  brethren  prayed  and  taught.  The  sec- 
ond were  rooms  in  hospitals  :  deacons  generally  served 
these.  The  third  were  places  of  publick  worship, 
served  regularly  by  ministers.  These  last  in  time  be- 
came pEirish  churches,  and  the  ministers  of  these  obtain- 
ed the  name  of  cardinal,  that  is,  principal  or  chief  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  two  former  classes.  Cardinals  deriv- 
ed their  titles  from  baptismal  churches  (1). 

Cardinals  are  now  ecclesiastical  princes,  but  like  all 
other  potentates,  they  sprang  originally  from  the  people. 
Each  church  had  one  or  more  sacerdotal  teachers,  and 
seven  deacons,  or  levites,  who  were  appointed  to  re- 
ceive the  alms  of  the  church,  and  distribute  them  to  the 
poor.  The  teachers,  being  old  men,  were  called  elders. 
When  the  church  became  so  large  as  to  render  it  neces- 
sary for  them  to  divide  and  meet  separately,  one  of  the 
elders  or  deacons  was  sent  to  officiate  to  one  party,  and 
another  to  a  different  party.  When  any  party  approved 
of  their  officer,  they  naturally  wished  to  make  him  sta- 

(6)  Cnuphrii  Panvinii  de  prtecip.  ttrb.  Rom.  basilic.  Cap.  De  baptister. 
Later  an. 

(7)  M.  L'Abbe  Mallet.    Encyclopedic.  Cardinal 

(8)  See  Du  Cange Encyclopedia,  &c.  on  the  words  Eglise  —  Con- 
clave   College Legate Cardinal,  &c. 

(9)  Encyclopedic.  Cardinal. 

(1)  Murator.  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  v.  Diss,  ki.  Be  cardinalium  instimione. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH  BAPTISM.  315 

tionary.  This  was  called  ordaining  him.  Somebody 
mispelt  the  word  ordain,  and  it  became  cardain,  and  so  ' 
in  time,  to.  cardain,  was  to  make  a  cardinal  (2).  When 
one  bishop  had  a  deacon  or  an  elder  eminent  for  ability 
to  officiate,  and  no  where  to  employ  him,  he  naturally 
applied  to  another  bishop  for  a  destitute  congregation, 
and  the  bishop  of  Rome  was  the  most  likely  to  assist 
him.  These  elders  and  deacons,  as  their  congregations 
increased,  were  obliged  to  detach  other  parties,  and 
thus  a  natural  train  of  events  produced  the  hierarchy  of 
Rome.  The  Catholicks  attribute  all  this  to  the  spirit  of 
God  ;  some  Protestants  to  the  spirit  of  darkness  ;  but 
others  see  nothing  either  infernal  or  divine,  but  trace 
the  whole  from  the  synagogue  :  however,  all  agree,  that 
the  shadow  of  the  ancient  ordinal  is  yet  visible  in  the  sa- 
cred college,  for  Cardinals  are  of  three  orders,  presby- 
ters, deacons,  and  bishops. 

Milan,  Naples,  Florence,  Ravenna,  Modena,  London, 
Canterbury,  and  all  other  cities,  had  their  cardinals  (3). 
Those  at  Rome  were  first  seven  of  the  parish  curates 
chosen  to  officiate,  each  his  week,  at  the  Lateran  church 
in  the  absence  of  the  bishop  of  that  church,  or  to  assist 
him  if  he  were  at  home  (4).  When  this  bishop  found 
himself  like  Moses,  as  he  expressed  it  in  one  of  his  in- 
stitutes, he  thought  fit  to  liken  the  cardinals  to  the  elders 
of  Israel,  to  fix  their  number  to  seventy,  (which  was  a 
happy  thought,  for  it  was  exactly  the  number  of  disci- 
ples appointed  by  Jesus)  he  invested  them  with  peculiar 
habits,  titles,  honours,  powers,  privileges  and  revenues, 
which  they  enjoy  to  this  day.  As  this  college  increas- 
ed, the  liberty  of  the  people  of  Rome  declined,  they 
lost  the  choice  of  the  bishop  into  the  hands  of  the  city 
clergy,  as  the  clergy  also  in  time  lost  their  votes  into 
the  hands  of  the  cardinals.  Other  cities,  dazzled  with 
the  glory  of  this  college,  incorporated  themselves  with 
it,  and  some  have  to  this  day  the  dignity  of  a  cardinal- 
ship  affixed  to  the  bishoprick,  as  Milan  and  others. 
From  the  little  cause  of  assisting  the  bishop  of  the  bap- 
tismal church  have  all  these  great  events  proceeded. 

(2)  Onuphrii  Panvinii  De  Episcopalibus,  titulis,  et  diaconiis  Cardinaliam, 
liber.  Cardinandmn,  antea  legebatur  ordinandwm.  Ernendatum  est  ex  ipsa 
epistola.     Cardinare  vera  seu  cardinaletn  constituere,  ij^c. 

(3)  Somner's  Antiquities  of  Canterbury, 

(4)  Murat.  ubi  sup. 


316  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES   NEARLY  OR 

The  city  fashion  of  building  baptisteries  was,  as  all 
fashions  are,  soon  imitated  by  Christian  inhabitants  of 
country  towns,  and  a  gieat  number  of  such  were  erect- 
ed. The  gentry  built,  and  the  priests  consecrated 
many  both  for  themselves  and  their  tenants.  Theodc- 
linda,  consort  of  Agilulf,  king  of  the  Lombards,  erected 
one,  called  from  its  form,  the  round  church,  at  Brescia, 
in  the  territories  ot  Venice,  and  another  at  Mozza,  near 
Milan,  both  dedirattd  to  John  the  Baptist,  a^  all  other 
baptisteiics  were  (.  ).  In  the  latter  several  German 
Emperors  have  been  since  crowned  as  kings  of  Italy. 
Such  as  have  not  fallen  into  decay  have  been  converted 
in  latter  ages  into  places  of  uorship,  and  many  of  them 
rebuilt,  now  are  called  cathedrals  and  parish  churches. 
The  city  clergy  very  freely  encouraged  the  building  of 
country  edifices,  and  provided  them  with  teachers,  and 
administrators  of  ordinances  ;  and  the  bishop  of  the  bap- 
tisnial  chujch  inspected  and  regulated  thtir  aft'airs  for 
them,  and  generously  supplied  them  from  the  Eleothe- 
sium  of  the  metropolitan  baptistery  with  oils  and  oint- 
ments necessary,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  coun- 
try, to  prepare  for  bathing,  and  to  perfume  after  it. 
The  fetchiiig  of  this  chrism  at  Easter  from  the  city  bap- 
tistery became  in  time  an  evidence  to  prove  the  depend- 
ence of  these  baptisteries  on  that  in  the  city,  and  trials  of 
law  between  the  baptismal  churches  of  two  cities  con- 
cerning a  right  to  baptisteries  in  the  country,  were  deter- 
mined by  evidence  that  the  unction  was  fetched  from 
this  church  and  not  from  that  (6).  The  bishop,  who 
supplied  most  baptisteries,  acquired  most  parishes,  and 
along  with  them  first  a  custom  and  then  a  right  to  regu- 
late the  time  and  order  of  worship,  the  ordination  of  in- 
cumbents, or,  to  say  all  in  one  word,  a  right  of  patron- 
age. It  was  the  baptistery,  precisely,  and  neither  the 
parsonage-house,  nor  the  church,  nor  any  thing  except 
that,  which  constituted  the  title  to  the  whole  :  and  for 
this  reason  baptismal  churches  are  called  titular  churches. 

It  is,  therefore,  a  general  rule,  that  parish  churches 
proceeded  from  the  cathedrals  of  their  diocesans,  that 
the  cathedrals  proceeded  from  their  metropolitans,  me- 
tropolitan churches  from  their  primates,  and  primacies 

(5)  Paciaudi  Antiq.  Christ.  Diss.  ii.  Cap.il.  iii. 

(6)  Muratorii  Tom.  vi.  Diss.  Ixxiv.    Separxciis. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  317 

from  St.  John  Lateran  at  Rome.  There  are,  undoubt- 
edly, exceptions  to  this  rule  :  but  they  are  easily  ac- 
counted for,  as  one  example  will  prove.  The  bishop  of 
the  isle  oi  Malta  is  by  some  reputed  suffragan  to  the 
archbishop  oi  Palermo  in  Sicily,  w  ho  is  his  metropoli- 
tan.  11  so,  according  to  the  general  rule  it  should  seem, 
that  all  the  baptismal  churches  ol  Malta  proceeded  from 
the  cathedral,  and  the  cathedral  from  Palermo  :  but 
this  is  not  the  case,  in  the  cathedral  at  Palei  mo  none 
arc  baptized  except  the  ro)  al  family  :  none  are  married 
there  except  the  same  family  ;  and  none  are  buiitd 
there,  except  the  family  and  the  archbishops.  The 
Maltese  say,  that  Paul  the  Apostle  was  shipwrecked  on 
their  islaiid,  and  they  quote  Chrysostom  to  prove  that 
he  baptized  the  two  hundred  and  seventx  -five  compan- 
ions of  his  shipwreck.  About  a  mile  fiom  the  place 
called  Ca/a  di  San  Paolo^  v\here  they  sa\  the  Apostle 
landed,  are  the  ruins  of  many  buildings,  and  among 
them  there  is  a  chapel  called  Saint  John  Baptist  Thelce- 
res,  that  is,  Saint  John  Baptist  among  the  ruins.  Dig- 
ing,  about  an  hundred  and  fifty  \  ears  ago,  to  repair  the 
chapel,  the  workmen  found  a  stone  baptistery,  which 
had  been  supplied  by  a  neighbouring  river.  Here, 
they  say,  the  Aj.ostle  baptized  the  mariners.  This  is 
probably  a  fable  :  but  a  fact  it  is,  that  the  baptistery, 
and  the  old  chapel  among  the  ruins,  are  far  more  ancient 
than  the  cathedral  at  Palermo,  or  the  baptismal  churches 
in  Malta.  Hence  arises  a  debate  among  canonists 
whether  Maha  be  suffragan  to  Palermo,  or  not.  Both 
sides  produce  archives,  and  arguments  :  but  the  fre- 
quent revolutions  of  government  solve  the  difficulty,  by 
shewing  that  at  sonie  times  it  was,  and  at  other  times  it 
was  not,  and  in  all  late  times  it  was  what  conquerors 
and  kings,  and  knights  of  Malta,  thought  fit  to  make  it. 
There  were  also  other  causes  of  multiplying  independ- 
ent baptisteries  :  but  they  are  not  necessary  to  be  men- 
tioned here. 

The  Baptism  of  Believers  connected  with 
Umformity,  Persecution,  and  the  Baptism 
OF  Minors   and   Babes. 

Of  the  numerous  parties  that  opposed  the  growing 
hierarchy,  the  Arians  were  the  most  popular  and  power- 


318  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES    NEARLY    OR 

ful.  They  did  not  allow  the  validity  of  a  baptism  per- 
formed in  the  name  of  the  Trinity  by  the  Catholicks, 
nor  did  the  Catholicks  allow  their  baptism  to  be  valid. 
In  the  reign  of  Rothar,  king  of  the  Lombards,  there  re- 
sided two  bishops  in  almost  every  city  of  the  Lombards, 
one  a  Catholick,  and  the  other  of  the  Arian  persuasioii(7). 
The  city  baptistery  then  became  an  object,  for  neither 
party  would  Itud  it  to  the  other  :  the  Catholicks 
thous^ht  the  Arians  hereticks,  die  Arians  thought  the 
Catholicks  idolaters  (y).  The  zealous  strained  every 
nerve  to  ^et  themselves  elected  by  the  congregation  at 
the  baptismal  church  ;  for  to  get  possession  of  the  bap- 
tistery was  to  secure  the  profession  of  Catechumens  at 
their  baptism,  and  consequently  their  adherence  to  the 
party  through  life.  The  milder  sort  erected  baptisteries 
for  their  own  use,  and  thus  there  were  two  baptisteries 
in  several  cities,  as  at  Ravenna  and  others  (9).  Mod- 
ern fables  have  covered  ancient  times  with  obscurity, 
so  that  it  is  not  easy  to  account  for  some  certain  facts, 
or  to  explain  them  by  any  given  rules.  If  what  some 
Italian  antiquaries  say  be  well  grounded,  that  all  the 
small  and  ancient  churches  dedicated  to  John  Baptist 
were  originally  baptisteries,  it  should  seem  there  were 
at  least  three  at  Ravenna,  one  called  ad  fontcs,  another 
belonging  to  the  Carmelites,  and  a  third  without  the 
city(l).  In  Constantinople  there  were  fourteen  church- 
es, chapels,  and  monasteries,  dedicated  to  John  the 
Baptist ;  but  nothing  can  be  more  uncertain  than  rea- 
soning on  bare  names  (2).  Nor  is  a  conjecture  found- 
ed on  the  round  or  octagon  form  of  building  any  more 
conclusive.  The  name  and  the  form,  in  conjunction 
with  historical  facts  well  authenticated,  prove  something  : 
but  the  name  and  the  form  alone  determine  nothing. 
It  doth  not  appear  that  in  those  days  there  was  more 
than  one  at  Roine,  for  the  small  round  building  called 
S.  Costanza,  was  probdbly  a  mere  temporary  accommo- 
dation for  the  baptism  of  the  Emperor's  sister,  and  oth- 
er court  ladies,  who  might  not  choose  to  be  baptized 

(T)  Paul!  Diaconi.  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  44. 

^8)  Onuplirii  Panvinii   De  prxcip.  urb.  Rom.   basilic.  Cap.  de  baptister. 
JLateranen. 

(9)   Paciaiidi  ^/zf/^.  C/ir/f<.  Diss.  ii.  Cap.  iv. 

(1)  Hieron.  Rubei  Hist.  Raven. 

(2)  C.  Dii  Fresne  Hist  Byzant,  Lut.  Parisiorum.  1680.     Constantinop. 
Christian.  Lib.  iv.  pag.  104. 


REMOTELY   CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  319 

along  with  the  lower  sort  of  people.  Gregory  reproved 
the  gentry  of  Nazianzum  in  publick,  because  they  dis- 
covered a  disinclination  to  be  baptized  in  the  same  bap- 
tistery with  servants  (3).  In  general,  where  kings  es- 
tablished the  Catholicks  by  law,  Arians  were  suppress- 
ed ;  where  they  favoured  Arianism,  Catholicks  were 
kept  under  :  but  where  they  headed  neither  party,  both 
were  tolerated,  and  having  separate  churches  and  two 
baptisteries,  they  spent  their  zeal  in  declaiming  against 
each  other's  heresy,  and  only  one  bad  consequence  fol- 
lowed. Each  party  for  the  glory  of  the  cause  brought 
forward  at  Easter  as  many  Catechumens  to  be  baptized 
as  possible,  and  so  far  zeal  was  laudable  :  but,  it  is 
credible,  while  one  gained  nine  months  with  his  pupils, 
another  stretched  a  year,  and  thus  from  baptizing  infants 
of  twelve  years  of  age,  they  ventured  to  do  it  at  eleven, 
and  so  on,  till  the  little  folks  not  being  able  to  utter  the 
renunciation  with  sufficient  emphasis,  their  parents  or 
tutors  were  allowed  to  pronounce  that  for  them.  The 
transition  is  very  easy  to  all  the  rest. 

King  Agilulf  was  an  Arian,  his  consort  Theodelinda 
was  a  Cathohck  (4).  Pope  Gregory  corresponded  with 
her  majesty,  and  complimented  her  with  presents  of  his 
books.  She  had  influence  enough  to  engage  her  son 
Adelwald  to  be  baptized  into  the  Catholick  faith,  and 
this  news  gave  Gregory  so  much  pleasure  that  he  sent 
along  w  ith  a  letter  to  the  queen  expressive  of  the  highest 
satisfaction,  presents  of  trinkets  to  both  her  children, 
Adelwald  and  his  little  sister  (5).  Had  his  holiness 
sent  these  toys  into  France,  the  law  would  have  fined 
him  fiiteeo  shillings  for  pagan  superstition,  unless  respect 
to  his  character  had  prevented  it.  Happy  had  it  been  if 
such  a  handsome  mode  of  conversion  had  been  always 
used,  but  Catholicks  and  Arians  often  made  proselytes 
in  a  very  different  manner.  The  contest,  however,  con- 
tinued through  a  long  succession,  and  terminated  in  fa- 
vour of  the  Catholicks.  Then  a  new  revolution  took 
pb.ce  in  regard  to  baptismal  churches,  and  laws  both 
civil  and  sacred  we  e  enacted  to  cause  all  baptisteries  to 
be  restored  to  the  Cathoiick  bishops  (6),  and  to  secure 

(3)  S.  Gregorii  Nazianzens   Orat,  xl.  In  sanct.  baptis. 

(4)  S.  Columbafil  Epist.  Edit.  Patric.  Flemingi.  Reges  namque  Aria.- 
nam  banc  labem  in  hac  diu  regione  calcando  fidem  catholicam  firmarunt. 

(5)  S.  Gregorii  Epist.  Lib.  xiv.  Ep.  14. 

(6)  Pippini  Ug^s,  apHd  Murator.  Balwa.  Goldast.  &c. 


320  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES   NEARLY   OR 

to  them  in  future  the  absohite  and  inalienable  possession 
of  them,  and  of  all  the  chapels  (for  so  all  other  churches 
were  then  called)  dependent  on  them  (7). 

Never  was  a  finer  piece  of  church  generalship  than 
this.  Tliis  is  what  in  the  exjiressive  language  of  those 
times  was  called  takii»g  the  baptisteries  out  of  the  hand 
of  a  people-man,  and  putting  them  into  the  hands  of  a 
pric^u-man.  Baptismal  churches  are  the  same  in  the  ec- 
clesKistical  histoiy  of  the  middle  ages  ^^  port^  or  straits 
are  in  the  art  of  war.  They  resemble  the  Thermopyice 
in  the  Grecian  history,  and  the  castles  in  the  wars  of  the 
Batons;  and  to  get  possession  of  these  was  a  master 
stroke  of  policy.  Of  how  much  importance  it  was  then 
thought,  a  n>ere  cast  of  the  eye  may  convince  any  man, 
for  the  Archives  of  those  times  are  full  of  the  subject. 
The  learned  and  indefatigable  Muratori  hath  from  the 
most  unquestionable  evidence  summed  up  the  matter  in 
his  Dissertation  on  Parishes,  and  hath  confirmed  every 
word  of  consequence  in  respect  to  the  middle  ages,  by 
authentick  records  subjoined  (8).  In  other  respects  he 
speaks  as  a  Catholink.  The  substance  of  what  relates 
to  the  present  view  of  the  subject  is  this  :  People,  at 
first,  signified  a  congregation  of  believers  under  the  care 
of  one  priest.  When  this  congregation  in  a  city  be- 
came too  large  to  assemble  in  one  place,  they  parted 
and  held  sepaiate  assemblies,  in  perfect  unity  however. 
The  first  congregation  built  a  baptistery  near  their  place 
of  worship,  which  served  all  the  compai.ies  of  Christians 
in  the  city.  The  old  church  became  in  time  the  cathe- 
dral, and  retained  the  baptistery  as  its  own  property, 
though  all  the  rest  used  it  as  they  do  to  this  day  in  Pisa, 
Florence,  Parma,  Cremona,  Bologna,  and  other  cities, 
and  in  the  year  thirteen  hundred  and  twenty  seven,  the 
people  of  Modena  intended  to  imitate  their  example  and 
build  a  common  baptistery.  When  Christianity  spread 
into  the  country,  the  country  people  met  for  weekly 
worship  where  they  could,  but  all  came  up  to  the  bap- 
tismal church  in  the  city  for  baptism.  Thus  the  bishop 
insensibly  became  the  father  of  all.  In  time,  catholick 
Christianity  continuing  to  spread,  and  the  journey  to 
the  city  becoming  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  baptism, 
the  country  gentlemen  with  the  consent '  of  the  parent 

(7)  Muratorii  Diss  Ixxiv.  Tom.  vi.  Antxq.  hal, 
C8^  Antiq,  JtaL  Tom.  vi.  Diss.  Ixxiv. 


REMOTELY   CONNECTED  WITH  BAPTISM.  321 

bishop  built  baptisteries  on  their  own  estates.  Then 
the  people  of  the  adjoining  district  came  to  these  bap- 
tisteries. These  little  baptibteries  multiplied  believers  as 
those  in  -the  city  had  done,  aiid  country  Christians  parted, 
and  worshipped  separatel}  as  the  citizens  had  done,  la 
process  of  time  it  became  necesbary  to  allow  some  of 
these  parties  baptisteries,  and  they  also  multi[)lied  as 
before.  All  the  places  where  they  baptized  were  called 
baptismal  churches,  and  the  rest  were  named  chapels  or 
oratcjries,  and  were  really  places  where  the  priests  only- 
performed  the  divine  services  of  prayer,  chanting,  teach- 
ing, reading  scriptures,  lessons,  and  so  on.  The  insti- 
tution of  baptismal  churches  in  the  country  is  of  the 
fourth  century  :  but  that  of  the  cities  much  later  ;  and 
some  bishops,  as  was  just  now  said,  have  never  allowed 
a  right  to  baptize  to  any  of  the  city  churches  ;  it  is  re- 
served to  the  cathedral.  This  is  the  origin  of  parishes, 
and  what  was  formerly  called  a  baptismal  church  is  now 
named  a  parish  church  (;').  When  a  natural  train  of 
events  had  brought  affairs  to  this  state j  Arians  and 
Catholicks  became  competitors  for  power,  and  they 
were  not  scrupulous  in  the  choice  of  means  to  obtain  it. 
Hence  came  a  list  of  crimes.  The  bishop  who  de- 
claimed and  published  books  did  very  well  :  but  he 
who  intrigued  and  bribed  and  taught  and  got  posses- 
sion of  a  baptistery,  was  the  life  of  the  cause.  The 
baptismal  church  in  the  country  was  the  road  toward 
the  baptistery  at  the  cathedral,  that  toward  another,  and 
all  led  to  that  of  St.  John  Lateran  at  Rome,  the  baptis- 
tery of  which  they  thought  was  the  mother  of  them  all. 
There  was  a  shadow  of  this  among  the  reform,ed  church- 
es of  Piedmont.  The  synod  cotisisted  of  fourteen 
churches.  They  were  divided  into  two  classes  of  sev- 
en in  each  class,  and  the  first  church  in  the  first  class 
was  S.  Giovanni,S.  John  (l). 

Baptism  connected  with  Superstition. 

The  canons  of  the  church  made  in  the  middle  ages 
tax  the  incumbents  of  the  baptismal  churches  with  av- 
arice (  ),  and  an  instai.ice  or  two  will  be  given  presently. 


g 


9)  Ibid.  (1)  S.  Morland.  Hist,  of  the  Churches  of  Piedmont. 

^)  Murat.  nt  sup.  p.  432. 

41 


322  MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

If  any  apology  can  be  made,  it  ought  to  be  taken  from 
the  laws  of  the  countries,  where  the  crime  was  com- 
mitted. The  laws  of  the  Lombards  of  those  times  al- 
lowed infants  in  case  of  sickness  or  danger  of  death,  to 
alienate  their  estates  to  endow  the  church  (3).  Some 
estates  were  given  under  this  law,  and  it  should  seem 
the  law  encouraged  the  practice,  for  some  of  the  usual 
forms  of  donation  were  dispensed  with  in  these  ca- 
ses (4).  Youths  under  eighteen  were  deemed  infants, 
and  it  must  be  allowed  this  dangerous  power  of  alienation 
in  their  hands  was  a  temptation  almost  invincible  to  a 
poor  incumbent  of  a  baptismal  church  to  make  early 
proselytes,  and  steal  a  march  to  the  baptistery.  A 
bishop,  any  thing  like  adroit,  could  not  fail  to  improve 
these  favourable  circumstances,  especially  when  he  had 
reason  to  fear  that  a  neighbouring  Arian  incumbent 
would  avail  himself  of  the  neglect.  It  is  a  fact,  that  of 
all  the  saints  in  paradise,  St.  John  the  Baptist  bore  the 
bell  in  those  days.  Where  no  new  baptisteries  were 
wanted,  old  ones  were  enlarged  with  vestries,  chapels, 
oratories,  and  adjoining  houses.  Then  they  were 
adorned  with  inscriptions,  pictures,  mosaick  work,  stat- 
ues, altars,  bells,  plates,  cups,  vases,  and  all  manner  of 
utensils,  John  being  depicted  on  every  one.  Next  they 
were  endowed  with  houses,  lands,  farms,  and  revenues 
of  various  kinds.  Blessed  John  the  Baptist  was  en- 
graven on  seals  publick  and  private,  cut  in  precious 
stones  of  all  descriptions  for  rings  and  ornaments,  ex- 
hibited on  the  crowns  of  princes,  the  altar  cloths  and 
other  ornaments  of  churches,  and  chosen  by  towns, 
cities,  and  whole  kingdoms  as  their  patron  (5).  The 
multitude  imbibed  the  delicious  frenzy,  and  when  the 
priest  inquired  at  baptism.  What  is  his  name  ?  Not 
Jove  :  but  John  was  the  popular  cry,  and  the  baptismal 

hall  resounded  John John John. 

To  Protestant  gentlemen,  who  have  not  turned  their 
attention  to  the  history  of  this  old-fashioned  saint,  it 
may  at  first  appear  improbable,  but  on  examination  it 
will  be  found  very  credible,  that  if  a  thesaurus  of  what 
relates  to  this  subject  were  collected  and  published  in 

(3)  Luitprandi  Leges.  Lib.  iv.  Cap.  1.  De  xtate 

(4)  Ibid.    Tom.  v.p  619.  An,  794.     Luiqn-andi  if^.  Lib.  vi.  1.  xix.ut^M;*. 

(5)  Pa«iaudi  Antiq.  Christ*  Frteloquium  adS.  S. D.  N.  Sendiet,  Fafam.xiv. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.         32S 

one  work,  it  would  swell  to  the  size  of  the  Acta  Sancto- 
rum,  which  amount  to  sixty  or  seventy  volumes   in 
folio  (6).     lohn  the  Baptist  was  Saint  the  first.      His 
reign  seemed  to  be  founded  in  reason,  as  will  be  observ- 
ed presently.      His  empire  was  universal,  and  it  con- 
tinued as  long  as  the  baptism  of  adults  and  minors  last- 
ed.    This  part  of  the  world  was  not  much  acquainted 
with  it,  for  the  continental  Christianity  did  not  arrive  in 
Britain  till  about  six  hundred  years  after  Christ,  when 
infant  baptism  began  to  prevail  very  much,  and  when 
other  saints  were  hastening  to  the  throne,  to  which, 
however,  in  time  the  Virgin  Mother  ascended,  at  first 
in  company  with  John,  who  complaisantly  gave  the  lady 
the  upper  hand  :    but  at  last  she  eclipsed  the  glory  of 
them  all  (7).      One   example,  out  of  a  great  number 
of  various  kinds,  is  the  old  form  of  receiving  a  brother 
into  a  convent.     His  first  petition  to  the  Abbot  was  in 
these  words  ;     "  Syr,  I  besyche  you  and  alle  the  covent 
for  the  lufFe  of  God,  our  lady  sanct  Marye,  Sant  John  of 
Baptiste,  and  alle  the  hoyle  courte  of  hevyne,  that  ze 
wolde  resave  mc,  to  lyve  and  dye  here  among  yovv  in 
the  state  of  a  monke,  as  prebendarye  and  servant  unto 
alle,    to   the  honour  of  God,   solace  to  the  company, 
prouffet   to   the   place,    and   helthe  unto    my    sawle." 
When  he  had  completed  his  noviciate,  he  was  to  prefer 
his  petition  to  the  Abbot  to  be  professed  in  the  follow- 
ing words  :    "  Syr,   1  have  beyn  heyr  now  this  t well- 
month  nere  hand,  and  lovyde  be  God,  mc  lyks  ryght 
well,  both  the  order  and  the  companye  ;    whereupon  I 
besyche  you  and  all  the  company  for  the  luffe  of  God, 
our  lady  Sanct  Marye,  Sant  John  of  Baptist  and  alle  hoy- 
le company  of  hevyn  that  ze  will  resave  me  unto  my 
profession  at  my  tvvellmonth  daye."     It  is  not  improba- 
ble, that  the  two  names  of  Mary  and  John  were  first 
united  at  Jerusalem,  for  the  family  at  the  hospital  dedi- 
cated to  John,  and  that  at  the  monastery,  dedicated  to 

(6)  Atta  Sanctorum  omnium,  ex  Latinis  et  Grxcis  monutnends  collecta, 
tt  notis  illustrata  a  patribtts  Societatis  ^esu,  ]oa.nne  BoUando,  God.  Hens- 
chenio,  Daniele  Papebrochio,  &c.  a  mense  yanuario  ad  diem,  secundum, 
Tncnsis  Octobris.  Antwerpiae  1643,  et  ann.  seq.  xlvii.  vol.  in  folio.  -  -  De 
Bure  Bibliograph  Les  Jesuites  D'Anvers  continuent  ce  grand  ouvrage  -  - 
On  croit  communetnent  que  cette  collection  pourra  fournir,  en  totalite  Ix. 
ou  Ixx  vol.  in  folio. 

(7)  Dugdale's  Monasticon.  Tom.  i.  Londini  1655.  Prsefat.  F»rmula 
Jratrem  recifiiendi  in  conventuiti- 


324     MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

^lary,  were  at  first  one  company  (:j).  Never  was  an 
hospital  bO  enriched  in  the  world.  'I'he  surplus  main- 
tanied  armies,  and  thence  came  the  knights  of  St.  John 
of  Jerusalem,  masters  atterward  of  the  Isle  of  Rhodes, 
and  still  of  the  Island  oi  Malta.  It  is  nnpossible,  with- 
in ihe  limits  of  this  section,  to  describe,  or  e\en  to  give 
a  list  of  the  donations  offered,  and  the  honours  paid  to 
John,  and  the  mass  is  so  great  that  it  is  not  easy  to  de- 
termine which  to  fix  on  to  convey  in  a  sketch  a  fair  idea 
of  the  subject.  Of  civil  honours  the  first  at  hand  is  a 
class  of  medals  and  monies  :  and  of  sacred  decorations 
the  nearest  at  hand  is  the  furniture  of  a  table  in  a  bap- 
tistery. 

The  short  Catholick  way  of  accounting  for  these 
splendid  things  is  by  quoting  orders  from  heaven.  The 
short  Protestant  method  of  conhuaiicjn  is  by  attributing 
them  to  suggestions  from  the  opposite  point.  A  scep- 
tick  ma\  perhaps  think  a  deduction  from  allov\ed  first 
principles  not  improbable.  Not  to  be  further  tedious, 
the  article  of  medals  ai.d  monies  shall  be  thrown  into  a 
note  (9),  and  what  was  just  now  n  eant  by  reasonableness 
of  enriching  baptisteries  shall  be  briefly  explained. 

Baptism  connected  with  Endowments. 

Baptisteries  were  in  fashion  in  Italy  from  the  reign  of 
Constantine  to  that  of  Charlemagne,  a  period  of  about 
five  hundred  years.  Within  this  space  the}  were  amply 
adorned  and  endowed.  The  first  gifts  of  the  faithful 
were  milk,  honey  and  wine,  for  the  refreshment  of  the 
Catechumens  and  their  attendants.  The  next  were 
oils,  unguents  and  salts.  Along  with  all  these  came 
cups,  vases,  plates  and  utensils,  marked  va  ith  the  initial 
letters  of  the  name  of  John  Baptist,  I.  B.  or  John  the 
forerunner  ijian.  nroA,  which  perhaps  is  the  true  origin 
of  baptismal  inscnpuoiis.  Then  came  money  for  the 
poor,  and  the  support  of  those  who  spent  their  time  in 
teaching  and  ofliciating.  After  these  came  habits,  or- 
naments, pictures  of  John  holding  out  his  right  hand, 
with  a  lamb  lying  in  it,  a  reference  to  his  words, 
"Behold,  the  Lamb  of  God,"  and  these  were  followed 

(8)  Pierre  Rene  Aubert  de  Vertot.       Hist,  des  Chevaliers  Hospital  de 
i'ordre  de  S  yean  de  yerusa/etn. 

(9;  Faciaud.  [The  article  of  medals  and  monies  we  omit.    £d.'\ 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.  325 

by  Others  more  complex :  the  whole  forming  a  large 
body  of  superstitious  theology,  glaring  in  practice,  but 
cumbersome  to  virtue. 

His  holiness,  the  late  pope  Bendict  xiv.  was  a  man  of 
cxteiisive  learning  and  elegant  taste  (l).  Had  not  the 
pontifical  tiara  eclipsed  every  other  honour,  he  would 
have  been  celebrated  as  an  antiquary.  His  cabinet  con- 
tains a  great  collection  of  antiques  relative  to  John  the 
Baptist ;  and  himself  was  an  exquisite  judge  of  the  au- 
thenticity of  each  and  the  value  of  all  to  church  history. 
Cups,  patens,  vases,  seals,  inscriptions,  triptychs,  habits, 
altars,  precious  stones,  silver,  gold,  ivory,  antiquities 
both  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  church  on  this  subject 
enrich  the  invaluable  Christian  museum  of  this  pontiff. 
It  is  in  such  collections  as  these,  and  not  in  garret-essays 
on  Greek  prepositions,  that  the  history  of  baptism  is  to  be 
studied.  Some  of  these  come  alone  belore  records, 
others  come  in  company  with  testaments  and  deeds,  and 
afford  a  sort  of  comment  on  the  text.  Last  of  all,  come 
deeds  alone,  to  be  expounded  however  by  the  customs 
that  occasioned  them.  In  the  present  case  it  is  to  be 
observed,  that  in  the  nations  where  these  affairs  were 
transacted,  it  was  a  first  principle  of  alienation  of  prop- 
erty, that  something  of  equal  value  with  the  donation 
should  be  received  from  the  donee  by  the  donor,  and 
this  quid  pro  quo,  value  received,  was  expressed  in  the 
deed  of  conveyance.  This  consideration,  for  the  sake  of 
which  the  donor  parted  with  his  estate,  seems  to  have 
been  the  Lombard  thinx,  thingatio,  and  launegild  or 
launechild,  words  of  very  doubtful  meaning,  and  in  all 
probability  chosen  for  that  very  reason  ;  for  although 
justice  to  prevent  fraudulent  bargains  required  some- 
thing of  equal  value  to  be  given  by  the  receiver  to  the 
donor  as  the  reason  of  the  alienation,  yet  equity  demand- 
ed that  every  man  should  be  allowed  to  judge  for  him- 
self what  in  his  own  peculiar  case  he  might  think  of 
most  value  to  himself  (2).  In  donations  to  the 
church  no  launegild  was  required,  for  this  very 
good  reason  :  the  church  had  nothing  but  spiritual  ben- 
efits to  bestow,  and  spiritual  gifts  are  invisible.  Deeds, 
hovvever,  express  this  invisible  benefit,  in  lieu  of  which 

(1)   Paciaudi  Antiq.  Christian.  Diss.  vl.  Cap.  v. 
(2;  Muratori  Anttq,  Ital.  Tom.  i.  Par.  ii,  pag.  28. 


526  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES    NEARLY    OR 

the  donation  was  made,  and  call  it  the  refreshment 
of  the  soul,  the  health  of  the  soul,  the  remedy  of 
the  soul,  the  redemption  of  the  soul,  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  many  such  names.  Every  Catholick 
understands  this  not  of  value  received,  but  of  value 
to  be  received  after  death  in  a  state  of  purgatory  : 
but  here  a  great  difficulty  presents  itself.  One  says,  there 
were  no  such  phrases  used  before  the  eighth  century : 
but  another  proves  by  monuments  of  unquestionable  au- 
thority that  it  was  the  phraseology  ot  several  centuries 
before  the  eighth.  A  Protestant  is  obhged  to  admit  the 
fact,  for  it  is  impossible  to  deny  the  authenticity  of  the 
monuments  produced  by  these  learned  and  laborious 
antiquaries  :  but  he  is  not  obliged  to  admit  their  infer- 
ence, and  to  take  the  phrases  precisely  in  their  sense. 
It  is  readily  granted,  that  in  latter  ages  the  phrase  was 
understood  in  the  catholick  sense  of  purgatory,  or  of 
expiating  sin.  Thus  in  the  year  one  thousand  and 
seventy -one,  Leofric,  bishop  of  Exeter,  that  his  soul 
might  be  more  acceptable  to  God,  left  lands,  ornaments, 
vestments,  and  books  to  the  church  (3).  A  thousand 
such  instances  might  be  adduced,  and  it  is  granted  the 
donors  intended  expiation  or  purgatory  :  but  it  is  far 
from  being  clear  that  four  hundred  years  earlier  the  same 
words  stood  for  the  same  ideas,  and  it  seems  most  natural 
to  understand  them  in  the  true  Italian  sense  of  a  launechild 
or  a  valuable  consideration  received  at  or  before  the  sign- 
ing of  the  deed  by  the  donor  :  and  if  so,  the  donation  was 
reasonable,  because  it  was  an  exercise  of  gratitude,  not 
to  say  equity. 

Baptism  connected  with   Collations  of  Ben- 
efices AND  Purgatory. 

The  infinite  Wisdom  that  constructed  the  world  hath 
so  constituted  man,  that  evils  produce  their  own  reme- 
dies. Man  grasps  at  property  and  power.  He  obtains 
his  wish  ;  but  finds  his  acquisition  too  unwieldy  for  his 
own  hands.  He  calls  in  assistants.  Assistants  enter 
the  world  as  he  did,  with  a  disposition  to  appropriate. 
Appropriation  succeeds,  and  the  assistant,  now  become 
a  principal,  calls  in  partners  to  ease  himself.  Partners 
like  principals  love  wealth  and  ease  ;    but  as  both  are 

(3)  Dugdale'3  Monastkon.  Londini  i655.  Vol.  i.  pag.221. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  327 

not  attainable,  property  bursts  out  of  confinement,  and 
parts  itself  among  those  from  whom  it  had  been  origin- 
ally taken.  Thus  it  happened  in  the  church.  A  bishop 
of  a  baptismal  church,  with  a  great  many  dependent 
congregations  annexed  to  it,  finding  himself  in  the  de- 
cline of  life,  and  becoming  infirm,  took  in  partners,  and 
divided  the  care  of  his  pluralities  among  them.  These 
were  the  chorepiscopi,  or  rural  bishops.  Thus  Irmen- 
fred,  bishop  of  Arezzo,  becoming  old  and  infirm,  and 
having  buried  his  chief  deacon,  whom  he  called  his  right 
arm,  appointed  four  prudent  men  to  officiate  for  him  (4). 
Here  it  is  that  the  charge  of  avarice  comes  in.  Three 
mighty  passions  domineer  over  man  in  three  periods  of 
his  life.  Love  rules  his  youth  :  ambition  his  middle 
age  :  avarice  takes  him,  when  he  becomes  a  cripple, 
and  too  often  liberates  him  only  at  the  grave.  Some 
baptismal  churches  did  not  choose  to  be  thus  disposed  of, 
and  their  teachers  did  not  approve  of  officiating  by  com- 
mission. The  bishops  then  invented  a  sort  of  alienation 
including  dependence,  and  hence  came  collations  of 
benefices,  annates,  or  first  fruits,  and  a  long  list  of  eccle- 
siastical dues  (5)  :  dues  which  would  have  seemed  un- 
just had  they  not  been  concealed  under  an  appearance 
of  equity  by  ordinations,  inductions,  installations,  in- 
vestitures, letters  of  orders,  bulls,  seals,  palls,  benedic- 
tions, confirmations,  and  so  on ;  all  which  had  the  air 
of  doing  something  for  the  money.  It  was  with  great 
reluctance  that  the  bishops  resigned  baptismal  churches, 
and  sometimes  they  granted  only  parts,  reserving  to 
themselves  the  other  parts,  which  reservations  Muratori 
thinks  prove  the  charge  of  avarice  brought  against  them 
by  a  council  held  at  Pavia  in  the  duchy  of  Milan.  Thus 
in  the  year  nine  hundred  and  eighty-four,  the  bishop  of 
Lucca  granted  Andrew  the  presbyter  half  a  baptismal 
church.  This  was  not  without  a  precedent,  for  nine 
years  before,  his  predecessor  had  granted  the  fourth  part 
of  a  baptismal  church  to  Arnolf  a  presbyter.  Thus 
they  divided  among  themselves  the  gifts  of  the  living 
and  the  donations  of  the  dead.  The  revenue  accumu- 
lated in  time  by  these  means  seems  enormous,  and  the 
computation  would  pass  all  belief  were  it  not  authen- 
ticated by  the  best  evidence.      It  was  shrewdly  observ- 

(4)  Murat.    Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  vi.  p.  425.  (5)  Ibid.  428. 


328  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES   NEARLY   OR 

cd  by  a  British  convocation  in  an  address  to  Henry  the 
Eighih  for  an  act  to  take  away  annates,  xh-^x parchment 
and  lead  be  i^ery  dear  merchandise  at  Rome,  and  in  som^ 
cases,  an  hundred  times  more  ivorth,  than  the  weight  or 
counterpoise  efjine  gold. 

Seven  hundred  years  Christians  out  of  f^ratitude  be- 
stowed liberal  gifts  on  the  church  :  but  in  the  niiddle  of 
the  eighth  century,  about  the  time  that  Pope  Stephen 
called  Pepin  into  Italy  to  succour  him  against  the  Lom- 
bards, a  new  scene  opened,  and  the  next  five  centuries 
prove,  in  the  history  of  mankind,  that  in  most  men 
fear  is  a  much  more  powerful  motive  in  religion  than 
love  (6).  The  far  greater  part  of  the  princes  of  those 
times  were  a  barbarous,  fighting,  bloody  race  of  men. 
The  union  of  the  church  of  the  harmless  Jesus  with 
such  men  depraved  the  morals  of  the  church.  Depravi- 
ty  of  manners  was  succeeded  by  doctrines  of  accomnioda- 
tion.  The  few  could  not  prevail  with  the  many  to  love 
God,  they  therefore  endeavoured  to  make  them  fear  him, 
and  for  this  purpose  declaimed  on  what  religion  hath  of 
the  terrible,  as  judgment  and  hell.  The  scheme  took  :  it 
was  believed  the  world  was  nearly  at  an  end,  and  the 
most  wicked  dreaded  the  approach  of  the  judge,  and 
sought  to  appease  his  anger.  Comparing  the  unbloody 
ecclesiasticks  with  themselves  they  thought  them  saints 
of  superabundant  merit,  and  complimented  them  as 
such.  The  saints,  who  knew  such  as  themselves  had 
been  formerly  put  to  death  for  sedition  by  such  men,  lis- 
tened to  this  new  language,  believed  the  flattery,  and  in  the 
compassion  of  their  hearts  contrived  a  mode  of  transfer- 
ring their  merits  to  these  gloomy  penitents,  and  nothing 
was  wanting  but  timetogive  the  transfer  effect.  This  diffi- 
culty was  soon  removed  by  some  ecclesiastical  Colunibus 
of  that  time,  who  discovered  in  scripture,  that  chart  of  the 
invisible  world,  a  spot  unseen  before,  where  gentle  flame, 
like  the  soft  lightning  of  a  serene  summer  evening,  burns 
insects  and  noxious  vapours,  while  it  only  purifies  man. 
To  this  place,  named  from  its  qualities  Purgatory,  abso- 
lutely the  only  hope  of  a  departing  sinner,  which  if  it 
were  not  could  not  make  the  case  worse,  and  if  it  were, 
as  the  learned  affirmed,  might  make  it  better,  numbers 
wished  to  go  rather  than  to  hell,  especially  as  the  saints 

(6)  Murat.  Antiq,  Ital.  Tom.  \\.  Diss,  Ixxi. 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.        329 

on  earth  promised  to  assist  them  with  all  their  influence 
and  merit,  to  reap  the  benefit  of  the  place.  For  this 
purpose,  feeling  for  the  agonies  of  departing  souls,  they 
turned  their  attention  every  way,  collected  all  that  might 
have  a  chance  of  giving  their  good  wishes  effect,  and  to 
the  prayers  of  the  living  joined  the  bones  and  relicks  of 
the  dead.  Now  every  tide  rolled  wealth  into  the  ter- 
ritories of  the  saints  :  not  as  formerly  for  the  sake  of 
religious  benefits  in  hand,  but  for  future  benefits 
in  hope.  Gratitude  had  given  money,  houses,  and 
lands,  but  fear  tossed  the  sceptre  and  the  sword 
into  the  lap  of  the  church,  and  ecclesiasticks  be- 
came secular  princes.  Castles,  cities,  marquisates, 
duchies,  with  all  the  royalties  annexed  to  them,  vassals, 
fees,  fines,  tributes,  salt-pits,  mines,  government  in  both 
its  essential  branches,  legislative  and  executive,  founded 
a  new  kind  of  monarchy,  in  the  throne  of  which,  fur- 
nished with  powers  celestial,  terrestrial  and  infernal,  for 
ages  sat  one  single  man.  All  nations  trembled  before 
him  ;  whom  he  would  he  slew,  and  whom  he  ivould  ht 
kept  alive.  (7). 


CHAP.  XXXI. 

THE    SAME    SUBJECT    CONTINUED, 

Baptism  connected  with  Monachism. 

THE  first  monks  took  children  to  prepare  by  instruc- 
tion for  baptism.  They  soon  found  the  benefit  of  this 
practice,  and  the  tuition  of  children  became  the  craft 
by  which  they  acquired  their  chief  wealth.  They 
availed  themselves  of  every  artifice  to  procure  little  ones, 
and  they  became  by  habit  such  adepts  in  the  art  of 
managing  them,  that  the  property  of  the  pupils  was  sure 
to  fall  into  the  common  stock  of  the  tutors. 

Monachism  is  of  the  highest  antiquity,  and  in  some 

form  or  other  always  infested  the  East,    where  warmth 

of  climate  and  luxuriance  of  soil  were  temptations  to 

enthusiasm  and  idleness,  too  strong  for  some  weak  heads 

to  resist.     There  was  a  sect  of  the  kind  among  the 

Jews,  called  Essenes.     When  Paul  went  first  to  Ephe- 

sus  he  found  three  kinds  of  religious  people  there  : 

Pagans  who  worshipped  Diana,  the  city  goddess  :  Jews 

42 
(7)  Daniel  V.  19. 


330     MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

who  worshipped  the  God  of  their  fathers  in  the  syna- 
gogue :  and  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist.  There  was 
a  fourth  class,  who  took  a  new  form  from  the  apostle. 
He  had  healed  several  diseases  in  the  name,  that  is,  by 
the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  had  formed  the 
disciples  into  a  church  that  assembled  in  the  school- 
room of  Tyrannus,  leaving  the  synagogue  to  the  Jews. 
Sceva,  the  Jew,  priest  at  Ephesus,  had  seven  sons,  who 
were  a  sort  of  Essenes,  monks,  therapeiita,  travelling 
doctors,  or  as  Luke  calls  them,  "vagabond  exorcists,  who 
understood  the  popular  names  of  diseases,  that  is,  de- 
mons in  the  literal  sense  of  invisible  beings  that  inhab- 
ited men  and  inflicted  diseases  on  them,  and  they  sup- 
posed the  name  of  Jesus  was  a  charm.  These  men  set 
about  exorcising,  or  casting  out  demons  in  a  new  form, 
and  they  took  upon  them  to  call  over  such  as  they  sup- 
posed had  evil  spirits  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
saying.  We  adjure  you  by  Jesus,  whom  Paul  preacheth 
(1).  They  did  not  succeed  at  Ephesus,  and  they  fied  : 
but  nothing  can  be  more  credible  than  that  they,  or  such  as 
they,  were  the  parents  of  Christian  monachism.  Exact- 
ly such  men  appeared  singly  and  separately  among  Jew- 
ish  Christians  in  every  age;  and  in  the  fourth  century,  in 
Egypt  and  Palestine  they  associated  into  communities, 
and  became  conspicuous  enough  to  obtain  a  place  in 
history  (2).  Jerom,  Chrysostom,  Athanasius,  Cassian, 
and  many  other  fathers  of  the  same  complexion,  speak 
of  them  as  of  angels  ;  and  yet  the  same  Jerom  observes 
there  was  no  office  so  mean,  no  service  so  vile  and  nau- 
seous that  they  would  not  perform  for  the  sake  of  getting 
away  the  property  of  infirm  and  dying  people  (3).  His 
words  are  too  gross  to  be  translated  :  -but  the  account  is 
very  credible,  for  they  were  neither  philosophers  nor 
contemplative  Christians,  but  a  set  of  vulgar  enthusi- 
asts, or,  to  use  the  language  of  the  sacred  historian  once 
more,  vagabond  exorcists^  the  parents  of  exorcism  in 
baptism  (4). 

(1)  Acts  xix. 

(2)  Murat.  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  v.  Diss.  Ixv.  Be  monaiteriorum  erectione, 
ct  mo?iachoru7n  institutione.  (3)  Ibid. 

(4)  Jerome  a  Costa  [i.  e.  P.  Simon']  Hist,  de  I'  origine  et  du  progres  des 
revenus  ecclesiastiqites.  Frankfort,  1684.  p.  33  Si  nous  ajoutons  soi  a  ceque 
St.  Jerome  rapporte  des  prestres  et  des  moines  de  son  t^ms,  il  n'y  a  sorte 
d'artifice  dont  ils  ne  se  servissent  pour  attirer  le  bien  des  particuliers.  -  - 
Comme  il  seroit  mal-aise  de  traduire  en  nostre  langue  les  paroles  de  S't 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.         331 

Monachism  arrived  in  the  West  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, and  fixed  its  first  publick  seat  at  Milan  about  the 
year  three  hundred  and  fifty-six.  Martin,  afterward 
bishop  of  Tours,  was  the  founder  of  this  first  monastery 
in  Italy.  Very  soon  after,  Athanasius  by  means  of  Mar- 
cella  conferred  the  same  favour  on  Rome ;  but  it  was 
Benedict  who  formed  monachism  into  a  system  suited 
to  the  times,  and  so  exactly  did  this  species  of  devotion 
fall  in  with  the  views  of  the  Italian  Catholicks,  that  with- 
in the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries  monasteries  abounded 
at  Milan,  Rome,  Ravenna,  Nola,  and  elsewhere,  as  they 
did  soon  after  all  over  Europe,  and  the  Catholicks  own, 
the  monks  were  the  chief  support  of  eastern  Catholicism, 
and  of  the  church  of  Rome  (5).  The  eastern  monks 
had  copied  the  oblation  of  children  to  God  from  the 
history  of  Samuel ;  the  parents  of  Gregory  of  Nazian- 
zen  had  made  an  oblation  of  all  theirs  before  they  were 
born.  Basil  reduced  the  confused  ideas  of  his  contem- 
poraries to  rule,  and  had  made  one  rule  for  receiving 
children,  for  he  laid  it  down  as  an  axiom  that  instruc- 
tion was  to  precede  baptism.  His  words  are  express, 
and  he  not  only  urges  the  command  of  Christ  as  an  au- 
thority to  baptize,  but  he  strenuously  pleads  for  an  ob- 
servation of  the  order  of  words  as  a  rule  for  the  order  of 
t/wigs.  Thus  he  begins  :  "  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  only  begotten  Son  of  the  living  God,  having  receiv- 
ed after  his  resurrection  the  promise,  which  God  his 
Father  made  by  the  prophet  David,  saying,  thou  art  my 
Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee  :  ask  of  me,  and  I 
will  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession  :  assem- 
bled his  disciples,  and  first  made  known  to  them  the 
power  which  he  had  received  from  God  his  Father  : 
saying,  Go,  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  com- 

Jerome  avec  le  mesme  force  et  la  mestne ^race  qu'elles  ont  dans  1'  orlg-inal, 
je  me  contenterai  d'en  rapporter  seulement  quelqiies  extraits  en  Latin.  -  - 
II  decrit  les  services  bas  et  honteux  que  les  prestres  et  les  moines  de  son 
terns  rendoient  aux  veillards  et  aux  dames  qui  estoient  sans  enfans,  asin 
d'avoir  leur  bienset  leur  heritages.  Audio,  dit  il,  in  senes  et  anus  absque 
Uberis  quorundam  turpe  servitium.  Ipsi  apponunt  matulam,  obsident 
lectuin,  purulentiam  stomachi  et  phlegmata  pulmonis  manu  propria  sus- 
cipiunt,  &c. 

(5)  Murat  ut  sup. 


332     MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

mand  you.  The  Lord  first  commanded  them  to  teach 
all  nations,  and  afterward  subjoined  baptizing  them,  and 
so  on  ;  but  you  neglecting  the  first  require  of  us  a  reason 

for  the  last- we  think  it  necessary  to  explain  and 

confirm  the  order  prescribed  by  the  Lord."  Benedict 
copied  Basil's  rule  of  oblation  with  an  amendment,  that 
children  once  admitted  should  continue  monks  for  life, 
and  inserted  it  in  his  rules  ;  and  the  oblation  of  children 
became  the  universal  practice  of  the  West  (6).  He 
made  no  alteration  with  regard  to  baptism.  The  babe 
was  ciirried  into  the  chapel,  his  hand  was  wrapped  in 
the  altar-cloth,  a  few  ceremonies  were  performed,  an  of- 
fering of  property  for  his  support  and  for  a  reward  to 
the  monks  was  made,  and  by  degrees  the  houses  acquir- 
ed immense  riches  by  these  means.  During  the  reign 
of  the  first  Lombards  in  Italy  monachism  was  checked, 
and  many  houses  were  taken  from  their  sacred  inhabi- 
tants :  but  the  latter  Lombard  kings,  and  after  them  the 
emperors,  the  popes,  the  bishops,  the  clergy,  and  the 
catholick  gentry,  revived  the  frenzy,  and  monachism  rose 
to  an  incredible  degree  of  wealth,  power,  and  influence. 
Posterity  stood  amazed  at  the  madness  of  their  prede- 
cessors, and  wondered  what  could  possess  them  to  en- 
slave succeeding  ages  to  a  set  of  unprofitable  enthusiasts, 
who  only  gave  out  that  they  were  the  disciples  of  Jesus, 
while  all  their  actions  proved  they  were  an  ignorant  and 
wicked  race  of  men.  If  a  fair  balance  were  struck  be- 
tvveeri  monachism  and  mankind,  the  account  of  mankind 
would  charge  them  with  robbing  the  populace  of  com- 
mon sense,  many  kingdoms  of  their  liberty,  posterity  of 
their  birthrights,  innumerable  families  of  their  property, 
multitudes  of  their  lives  by  persecution,  Christianity  of 
its  credibility,  and  God  of  the  honour  due  to  his  infinite 
and  undivided  excellence :  against  which  the  monks 
would  have  nothing  to  set  except  the  cultivation  of  a  few 
waste  lands,  the  relieving  of  some  of  the  poor,  which 
did  barm  by  drawing  their  attention  from  industry,  the 
writing  of  a  few  chronicles,  the  multiplying  of  their  order, 
and  the  charging  of  posterity  with  the  unavoidable  sup- 
port of  a  system  replete  with  superstition,  despotism  and 
wickedness.  In  all  such  general  estimates  individuals 
are  always  excepted  ;  and  in  the  present  case  such  men 

(6)  Mabillon.  Analecta.  Tom.  iii.  p,  473. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  333 

as  Basil  are  to  be  excepted,  whose  schemes  of  mon:ich- 
ism  were  different  from  those  of  later  monks,  and  who 
certainly  .  ne\er  foresaw  what  a  scourge  monachism 
would  be  to  the  world. 

Two  hints  may  suffice. 

First.  There  was  another  species  of  monks,  beside 
those  who  are  generally  so  called,  who  are  denominated 
canons  of  cathedrals,  secular  and  rei^ular.  At  first  all 
the  clergy  were  called  canons,  because  they  professed  to 
live  by  a  canon,  that  is,  a  rule  different  from  that  of  o^h- 
er  men.  The  canons  of  cathedrals  lived  with  the  bish- 
op, by  a  rule,  in  the  same  house,  and  were  supported 
by  the  revenues  of  the  church  for  the  purpose  of  chant- 
ing, reading  lessons,  and  carrying  on  the  service  night 
and  day.  Augustine  of  Hippo  was  one  of  this  class. 
He  had  learnt  the  institution  of  Eusebius,  bishop  of 
"Vercelli,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  author  of  it  in  the 
West.  Eusebius  lived  in  the  fourth  century.  From 
Italy  it  arrived  in  France  in  the  seventh  or  eighth  centu- 
ry, and  in  time  it  diffused  itself  into  all  the  great 
churches  of  the  West,  which  have  been  since  on  this  ac- 
count named  collegiate  (7).  All  such  colleges  learnt  of 
the  monks  to  take  in  children,  by  the  same  ceremony  of 
wrapping  the  hand  in  the  covering  of  the  sacred  utensils 
of  the  altar,  and  by  accepting  at  the  same  time  all  their 
properly,  moveable  and  immoveable,  for  the  use  of  the 
church  (8). 

Secondly.  It  is  observed  by  Catholick  writers,  that 
all  the  communities  of  canons,  monks,  and  nuns,  of 
every  order,  became  as  they  acquired  wealth  more  de- 
praved than  the  laity  :  and  that  they  acquired  great 
part  of  their  wealth  by  infantidi :  and  it  may  be  added, 
it  was  neither  devotion  nor  superstition  that  gave  mona- 
chism its  run,  but  the  suitableness  of  the  institution  to 
the  debauchery  of  those  who  encouraged  it  (9).  Here, 
as  it  would  be  easy  to  prove  by  many  diplomas,  princes 
and  great  families  disposed  of  their  superfluous  chil- 

(7)  Murat  Antiq.  Ital  Tom.  v.  Diss.  Ixil. 

(8)  Formula,  qua  Farulfus.  --  -offcrt  se  capitulo  cmwn'corutn  Arretinoruni. 
In  nomine  Domini  nostri  Jcsu  Cbristi.  Egn  Faiulfus  Presbyter  spontanea 
mea  voluntate  oflero  me  ipsum  Deo,  et  ecclesix  sancti  Donati,  et  Jocundo 
preposito  atque  Archidiacono  secundum  regulam  canonicam  fideliter 
servitunim,  pallio  altaris  manibus  involutum,  cum  oblationibus  mcarum 
rerum  mobilium  et  iramobilium,  &c. 

(9)  Murat.  IxiK 


334  MISCELLANEOUS   ARTICLES   NEARLY  OR 

dren  :  here  clergymen  and  monks  got  handsomely  rid 
of  theirs  :  and  here,  as  some  abbots  complained,  the 
crooked  and  the  stupid  children  of  famiUes,  who  thought 
themselves  disgraced  by  such  descendants,  found  a  con- 
venient retreat  (i).  The  influence  of  this  gainful  trade 
on  baptism  has  been  mentioned  in  another  place. 

Baptism  connected  with   social  Obligations. 

Every  new  idea  of  Baptism,  like  a  mathematical  point, 
becomes  a  line,  aud  a  curve,  and  interweaves  itself  with 
many  an  unforeseen  difficulty.     The  oblation  of  children 
to  monks  to  be  taught  and  baptized,  and  the  acceptance 
of  property  to  support  both  tutors  and  pupils,  were  truly 
and  really  a  niatual  com.iact.     When  the  benefit  be- 
came uoiorious,  canons,  bcihops,  and  curates,  became 
rivals  to  the  monks,  and  councils  forbade  the  morks  to 
baptize,  and  their  baptisteries  were  ordered  to  be  de- 
stroyed.    In  the  year  seven  hundred   and  seventy-two, 
Tassilo,  dulvc  of  Bavaria,  gave  canons  the  force  of  civil 
law,  atid  forbade  the  monks  in  iiis  jurisdiction  to  baptize, 
except  in  case  of  danger  of  death  (2).     In  like  manner 
pope  Gregory  i.  directed  that  the  baptistery  of  the  mo- 
nastery of  St.  Andrew  should  be  filled  up,  and  an  altar 
erected  over  it  ( )).     The  monks  had  included  in  obla- 
tion the  idea  of  a  solemn  compact,  and  they  called  it  a 
compact  with  God.     Long  was  the  struggle  between 
the  clergy  and  the  monks,  but  the  difference  was  finally 
adjusted  by  laws  sacred  and  civil  :  oblation  and  com- 
pact were  left  to  the  monks,  and  the  union  made  the 
child  offered  a  monk  :   but  baptism  and  compact  were 
settled  on  the  clergy,  and  the  union  made  the  child  bap- 
tized a  Christian  and  a  parishioner,  a  member  of  the 
church,  and  a  member  of  the  state.     In  the  parochial 
laws  of  those  ages  the  priests  were  ordered  to  inform  the 
people,  that  baptism  was  a  compact  between  them  and 
God  :    that  in  baptism  they  bound  themselves  to  re- 
nounce all  other  religions  and  to  embrace  Christianity, 
that  is,  Roman  Catholicism  :  and  that  the  contract  might 

(1)  Mabillon  ut  sup. 

(2)  F.  Lindenbrog.  Coclex  Legum.  Decreti  Tassilonis  ducts  Baioarioruin. 
Trxfat. 

(3)  Epist.    Lib.   ii.  Ep.   xcvi.        Secundino    Episc.    Taurominitan.    De 

auferendo  baptisterio  de  monasterio  monachoruni.     Prsecipimus- baptis- 

terium  auferii repleto  loco  ipsorum  fontium altare  fundetur,  &c 


REMOTELY   CONNECTED   WITH   BAPTISM.  335 

Be  violated  in  whole  or  in  part  ;  in  part  by  pride,  or  en- 
vy ;  or  in  whole  by  infidelity,  heresy,  or  schism  (4). 
The  idea  of  social  obligation  being  thus  affixed  to  mere 
baptism",  it  followed  of  course  that  all  baptized  persons 
were  bound  to  support  the  priesthood  ;  that  parents 
were  bound  to  have  their  children  baptized  ;  that 
priests  were  bound  to  baptize  them  ;  that  bishops  were 
bound  to  ordain  priests,  and  to  see  that  they  discharged 
this  duty  of  their  office  ;  that  princes  were  bound  to 
protect  prelates  in  the  execution  of  their  functions  ;  and 
that  the  people  were  bound  to  pay  all  of  them  for  doing 
their  duty.  Hence  proceeded  a  great  number  of  penal 
statutes  to  oblige  all  ranks  to  uphold  the  baptism  of 
children  :  for  it  was  presently  discovered  in  practice, 
that  the  earlier  the  contract  was  acceded  to,  the  safer 
were  the  contracting  parties,  and  the  imbecility  of  chil- 
dren ceased  to  be  an  objection  by  the  appointment  of 
sponsors ;  from  which,  however,  the  clergy  took  care  by 
express  law  to  save  themselves,  as  well  as  to  exclude 
the  monks  (5).  Here  then  was  baptism  without  in- 
struction. Hence  also  came  spiritual  relationship,  and 
marriages  between  godfathers,  godmothers,  and  god- 
children were  prohibited,  because  they  were  reputed 
a-kin.  On  the  ground  of  this  pretended  compact,  the 
rights  of  citizens  through  life,  and  even  the  right  of 
burial  after  death,  have  been  refused  in  many  states  to 
persons  unbaptized  by  the  priests  :  and  war  hath  been 
made  by  one  nation  upon  another  for  the  same  right- 
eous reason.  This  error  of  making  baptism  a  part  of 
the  social  contract,  and  the  tyranny  appending  to  it 
came  down  into  modern  establishments.  There  were 
at  Augsburg  in  Germany,  in  the  year  fifteen  hundred 
thirty-two,  some  Baptists,  who,  following  their  own  con- 
victions, met  together  to  worship  God  :  but  they  were 
imprisoned,  because,  say  the  Reformers,  they  held  clan- 
destine conventicles,  and  performed  religious  worship 
contrary  to  law  (6).  This  law  was  a  new  order  made 
by  a  few  without  the  consent  of  the  people.     A  faithless 

(4)  H.  Ludovici  Imperatoris  Capitular.  Addit.  ii.  3.   Ut  pactum  in  baptis- 
mate  factum  cum  Deo  a  baptizatis  observetur. 

(5)  Ansegisi  Abbatis.  et  Benedict!  levitue  capitula   Karoli  magni   et  H , 
Ludovici  p.  ii.  Reg  et  Imp.  £>e  Baptismo. 

(6j  Melch.  Adami  Urban!  Regii.    Contra  leges  civiles  clandestina  cele- 
bra^ent  conveoticula  et  sacra  peragerent. 


336     MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

English  biographer,  in  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell, 
translated  this  according  to  his  own  persecuting  princi- 
ples :  the  Anabaptists,  says  he,  were  imprisoned  at 
Augsburtr  for  dibturbing  the  public  peace  :  as  if  it  be- 
came a  Briton  to  affirm,  that  uniformity  in  the  rights  of 
baptism  is  an  essential  part  of  the  social  compact  be- 
tween magistrates  and  people  !  Such  divines  may  un- 
derstand thec^logy  :  but  they  certainly  do  not  under- 
stand civil  polity.  It  was  in  resentment  for  this,  that 
the  old  Baptists  used  to  reproach  the  Catholicks  in  the 
words  of  John  :  the  beast  causeth  all,  both  small  and 
great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond,  to  rece'rce  a  mark  in 
their  right  hand,  or  in  their  forehead  ;  and  that  no 
man  might  buy  or  sell,  sa'oe  he  that  had  the  mark,  or 
the  name  oj  the  beast,  or  the  number  oj  his  name  (7). 
Dtni'  g  the  persecution  at  Augsburg,  just  now  mention- 
ed, there  was  a  lady  of  fortune  imprisoned  for  attending 
the  Baptist  conventicle.  The  reformers  were  proud  of 
displa}iiig  thi-ir  talents  for  argument  on  such  occasions. 
Urban  Regius,  who  had  been  first  a  Catholick,  next  a 
zealous  Lutheran,  and  who  had  just  then  become  a 
strenuous  Zninglian,  was  at  this  time  a  preacher  in  the 
city  by  appointment  of  the  senate.  The  lady  in  prison 
affected  to  despise  the  talents  of  Regius  for  disputation, 
and  preteiicicd  she  could  confute  him.  The  senate 
chose  to  hear  them  dispute,  and  they  appointed  a  time, 
and  the  prisoner  in  chains  was  set  facing  Regius  in  full 
court.  After  the  learned  man  had  displayed  his  elo- 
quence to  the  universal  satisfaction  of  himself  and  all 
the  senate,  the  insolent  woman  said  :  "  With  what 
wonderful  propriety,  brother  Urban,  is  this  dispute  be- 
tween you  and  me  conducted  !  There  sit  you  on  an 
easy  seat  by  the  side  of  the  consuls,  and  preach  oracles 
as  from  the  tripod  of  Apollo  :  and  here  am  I  bowed 
down  to  the  ground,  and  compelled  to  plead  my  cause 
in  these  heavy  chains  !"  Urban  replied  :  "Verily, 
sister,  there  is  no  injury  done  to  you  ;  you  was  once 
freed  from  the  slavery  of  the  devil  by  Christ,  you  have 
since  voluntarily  put  your  neck  again  under  his  shame- 
ful yoke,  and  the  mad  fiend  shews  you  in  these  orna- 
ments for  an  example  to  others  (8)."  Had  Apollo  utter- 
ed) Rev.  xiii.  16,  Vf.  (8)  Regii  Vit. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  337 

ed  such  sad  oracles  as  these,  the  Pagans  would  never 
have  worshipped  him  as  a  god. 

While  baptism  was  managed  jointly  by  the  monks 
and  the  bishops,  children  were  first  instructed  by  the 
monks,  and  then  presented  to  the  bishop  for  baptism,  or 
if  they  had  been  baptized  in  the  monastery,  they  were 
presently  after  it  to  be  confirmed.  This  seems  to  be 
the  true  origin  of  modern  confirmation.  At  first  the 
process  was  this  :  a  person  was  first  instructed  ;  then 
baptized  into  a  profession  of  Christianity  at  large  ;  and 
lastly  admitted  by  a  bishop,  as  the  official  in  the  name  of 
a  church,  a  member  of  that  particular  society  to  which 
the  bishop  belonged.  Then  the  person  was  said  to  be 
confirmed  or  settled  :  not  confirmed  in  the  belief  or 
profession  of  Christianity,  but  settled  as  a  member  of  a 
particular  society.  Young  monks,  thus  confirmed,  suc- 
ceeded in  time  to  the  mastership  of  their  houses  and 
became  abbots,  then  the  bishop-abbot  extended  his  in- 
spection as  lord-abbot  over  all  the  family,  whom  he  call- 
ed the  children  of  the  abbot,  and  claimed  jurisdiction 
over  the  abbey  and  all  its  endowments.  This  produced 
contention  :  and  in  the  end,  some  houses  were  subdued 
by  the  bishop,  and  a.'fixed  to  the  diocese  ;  others  ob- 
tained exemption  from  episcopal  jurisdiction  ;  some 
put  themselves  under  the  immediate  protection  of  the 
pope ;  some  became  benefices  in  the  patronage  of  the 
crown,  or  the  families  of  the  founders  ;  and  others  ob- 
tained churches,  ancj  chapels,  which  continue  extrapa- 
rochial  to  this  day  (9).  These  last  are  the  places  in 
which  the  monks  were  not  permitted  to  baptize  ;  fi)r 
over  all  baptismal  churches  the  bishops  acquired  and  re- 
tained jurisdiction  in  order  to  prevent  the  formation  of 
an  hierarchy  within  the  hierarchy,  the  independency  of 
which  might  have  endangered  the  absolute  power  of 
Rome.  This  must  be  said  to  the  honour  of  the  first 
monks,  that  while  they  baptized  they  in  general  first 
taught  ;  and  although  they  had  reduced  baptism  to  the 
size  of  minors,  yet  they  had  not  every  where  brought  it 
down  to  babes  :  but  when  the  affair  was  taken  out  of 
their  hands,  as  it  seems  to  have  been  about  the  tenth 

(9)  Murat.  Antiq.  Ital.  Tom.  vi.  Diss.  Ixxi.     De  Epitcofierum,  Abba- 
fum,  aliorumqrtf  ecclesiastieorum  potentid'  -  •  -  Ixxiii, 

43 


338  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

century  abroad,  and  later  in  England,  baptism  naturally 
sunk  into  the  insignificance  of  mere  words  and  forms» 
This  was  owing  to  the  appointment  of  lay-godfathers, 
who  were  very  inadequate  substitutes  for  monks  ;  for 
although  some  monks  were  not  in  orders,  yet  ail  had 
leisure,  and  all  were  capable  of  teaching  children  more 
than  they  were  afterward  taught  by  parish  priests  and 
ignorant  lay -godfathers,  which  in  the  sequel  amounted 
to  no  more  than  a  little  while  to  say  the  Lord's  prayer, 
the  belief,  and  the  answers  to  the  questions  in  baptism, 
then  only  to  utter  two  or  three  words,  and  lastly  ta 
make  responses  for  them. 

Baptism  connected  with  Hi/man  Creeds. 

Creeds  alone,  like  problems  alone,  are  inoffensive 
and  harmless  :  it  is  the  connection  of  them  with  civil  or 
ecclesiastical  polity,  that  gives  them  their  consequence^ 
An  history  of  them  and  their  connections  would  fill 
volumes,  for  they  begin  to  move  like  little  hand  snow- 
balls from  the  top  of  some  high  hill,  and  gather  as  they 
roll  down  the  slope  till  they  come  tumbling  into  a  valley 
with  a  velocity  and  a  size  dreadful  to  such  as  stand  in 
their  way,  as  thousands  have  found  to  their  cost.  It  is 
not  easy  to  give  a  just  idea  of  this  subject  in  a  sketch, 
for  it  naturally  leads  into  voluminous  investigations  ; 
however,  to  avoid  bulk,  and  to  obtain  at  least  an  ade- 
quate notion  of  the  fact,  it  may  suffice  at  present  just  to 
observe  the  connection  of  faith  and  baptism  in  the  New- 
Testament  :  and  then  the  connection  of  faith  and  bap- 
tism in  modern  churches,  particularly  that  of  Rome. 

In  the  New  Testament  two  things  are  clear :  first,  that 
Christianity  was  proposed  with  evidence  to  the  belief 
of  men;  of  course  therefore  it  required /Jd-rw/w/ faith, 
and  the  belief  of  a  proxy  ib  an  idea  not  in  the  book  :  sec- 
ondly, that  baptism  was  administered  to  believers  in  the 
very  first  instance,  immediately  on  their  professing  to 
embrace  what  they  inwardly  believed  to  be  true ;  and 
consequently  it  was  some  wry  simple  and  obvious  articlet 
suited  to  the  first  openings  oi  the  mind,  that  was  believ- 
ed. The  case  of  the  eunuch  is  in  point ;  it  is  a  bap- 
tism above  all  suspicion  (1).     The  eunuch  was  readings, 

(1)  Acts  viiK 


"REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH  BAPTISM.  339 

as  he  rode  along,  a  part  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.  At 
his  request  Philip  took  a  seat  at  his  side,  and  expounded 
to  him  the.  meaning  of  the  prophecy.  When  they  came 
to  a  certain  water,  the  eunuch  inquired  whether  there 
were  any  objection  against  his  being  baptized.  Philip 
replied  :  If  thou  belie'uest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  may  est. 
He  answered,  /  believe:  and  Philip  baptized  him.  This 
was  an  exact  conformity  to  the  institution  by  Jesus 
Christ,  and  this  case  ought  be  taken  for  a  pure  and  gen- 
uine exposition  of  the  words  of  the  institution,  and  of 
the  order  of  the  words  regulating  the  order  of  things  as 
the  apostles  understood  their  divine  Master.  This  con- 
nection of  baptism  with  faith  was  natural,  for  Christian- 
ity was  a  religion,  baptism  was  a  profession  of  that  re- 
ligion, and  there  would  have  been  a  manifest  impropriety 
in  professing  a  religion  without  believing  it  to  be  true. 
Here,  then,  personal  belief  is  connected  with  baptism. 

The  next  inquiry  is,  what  was  the  creed,  on  the  belief 
of  which  Philip  administered  baptism  ?  Happily,  the 
historian  hath  inserted  the  very  words.  The  eunuch 
answered  and  said  :  /  belie've  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
Son  oj  God.  Divines  have  given  various  senses  to  the 
word  Son  of  God:  but  it  is  sufficient  to  the  present  pur- 
pose to  observe,  that  it  is  left  unexplained,  and  it 
amounts  to  the  same,  whether  the  eunuch  left  it  so  or 
the  historian.  If  the  eunuch  said  no  more,  then  Philip 
thought  such  a  profession  a  sufficient  title  to  baptism. 
If  the  eunuch  enlarged,  and  the  historian  omitted  to 
record  it,  then  Luke  thought  no  more  was  essential. 
In  either  case  the  testimony  is  apostolical ;  and  a  ne\T- 
testament- baptism  is  connected  with  nothing  but  a  gen- 
eral profession  of  believing  in  Jesus  Christ,  a  profession 
of  faith  unconnected  with  civil  affairs,  and  with  fellow- 
ship in  any  particular  society  of  Christians.  Whether 
particular  societies  have  any  right  to  require  explana- 
tions, and  to  exact  more  to  make  a  member  of  a  church 
than  is  requisite  to  make  a  member  of  Christ,  must  be 
left  to  every  church  to  determine. 

Human  creeds  are  to  be  sought  for  first  in  schools, 
then  in  synods,  next  in  offices  of  baptism,  and  lastly  in 
public  k  rituals  of  divine  worship.  One  of  the  most 
mischievous  men  that  ever  set  foot  into  the  Judaizing- 
Christian  church  wafi  Origen,  and  his  pretended  learning 


340  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

was  a  piiblick  misfortune ;  for  from  a  church,  school  at 
Alexandria  in  Egypt,  where  this  wild  youth  uttered  his 
reveries,  vraine  the  frivolous  science  that  produced  hu- 
man creeds,  and  ecclesiastical  tests.  The  council  of 
Nice,  or  rather  Osius,  bishop  at  Cordova,  in  Spain,  fram* 
ed  a  creed,which  was  made  a  test,  and  which  created  more 
errors,  and  caused  more  crimes  than  can  be  enumer- 
ated. Most  future  councils  adopted  this  creed  :  but 
some  factions  framed  others  directly  opposite,  and  both 
had  their  partizans.  The  Greeks  first  inserted  creeds 
into  their  publick  liturgies  :  and  Leander  was  the  first, 
who  introduced  the  practice  into  the  West.  This  was 
done  in  the  third  council  of  Toledo,  in  Spain,  in  the  year 
five  hundred  eighty-nine ;  and  the  canon  that  enjoins  a 
repetition  of  the  creed  says,  it  was  according  to  the  form 
of  the  eastern  churches  (2).  The  Romans  seem  not  to 
have  repeated  the  creed  in  their  publick  worship  till  the 
eighth  or  ninth  century,  and  then  to  have  dropped  the 
custom  till  the  eleventh,  when,  in  the  year  one  thous- 
and and  fourteen,  by  desire  of  the  en>peror  Henry  i.  it 
was  revived,  and  hath  continued  ever  since  ().  The 
Reformers  adopted  this  part  of  the  papal  ritual,  and  the 
creeds  of  their  several  established  churches  have  been 
sources  of  perpetual  disputes  and  divisions. 

Baptism  connected  with  Judaism. 

It  would  be  endless  to  pursue  the  associations,  which 
fancy  hath  made  between  baptism  and  several  other 
practices.  Exorcism,  or  casting  out  demons,  was  in 
practice  among  the  Jews  long  before  the  time  of  Jesus, 
and  continued  after  him.  The  history  of  Saul,  the  first 
of  their  kings  ;  that  of  Tobit,  which  was  written  in  the 
captivity  ;  the  accounts  of  the  evangelists  ;  and  those  in 
the  book  of  Acts,  fully  establish  this  (4).  The  sons 
of  Sceva,  as  was  observed  before,  associated  the  name 
of  Jesus  with  exorcism,  andamong  other  proofs  that  vulgar 
Jews  were  the  real  parents  of  the  Catholick  church,  that 
taken  from  the  union  of  baptism  and  personal  exorcism, 
is  one  of  considerable  weight.     It  is  one  branch  of  the 

(2)  Concil.  Toletan.  iii.  Can.  ii. 

(3)  Mabillon.  in  Ord  Roman,  comment,  p.  xUi. 

(4)  Sam.  xvi.  23.  -  -xviii.  10.  -  -xix.  9i  &c.  -  -Tobit.  iii,  8. 17.  -  -vi.  &C.  -  - 
Luke  xi.  18,  19. 


BEMOTELY  CONNECTID  WITH  BAPTISM.  341 

doctrine  of  demons,  wliich  Paul  foretold  the  apostacy 
would  receive  (5). 

The  association  of  baptism  with  consecration  of  offi- 
cers, dedication  of  places,  and  purification  of  waters,  is 
derived  from  Judaism  (6).  In  ordination  every  thing  is 
Jewish.  The  Roman  ordinal  says,  the  infants  of  the 
church  were  given  to  understand,  that  if  after  baptism 
they  should  desire  offices,  and  if  they  should  behave 
well,  they  might  arrive  by  degrees  at  the  high-priest- 
hood (7).  When  one  was  ordaiued  an  exorcist,  the 
bishop  gave  him  a  book  of  forms  of  exorcism,  saying  : 
take  this  and  get  it  by  heart,  and  have  power  to  lay 
hands  on  persons  possessed,  baptized,  and  Catechumens, 
When  any  one  was  ordained  a  deacon,  he  was  informed, 
he  was  made  a  Levite,  to  serve  at  the  altar^  and  his  offer- 
ings were  denominated  sacrifices :  next  came  priesthoody 
and  lastly  the  pontificate.  Unctions  accompar.y  the 
whole.  The  same  ordinals  have  several  forms  of  dedi- 
cation :  one  for  dedicating  a  place  for  a  church,  which 
had  been  a  synagogue  :  another  for  a  baptistery,  and  in 
this  last  the  bishop  prayed,  that  whoever  went  down 
into  it,  and  was  baptized  by  trine  immersion,  might 
come  up  regenerated  (8).  This,  no  doubt,  was  taken 
from  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  as  the  benediction  of 
baptismal  water  was  from  the  Jewish  purifications  of  wa- 
ter for  the  use  of  the  priests  (9).  None  but  Jews  could 
introduce  such  practices  as  these.  Most  likely,  from  a 
confusion  of  ideas,  Jewish  and  Christian,  in  some  dis- 
ordered brain,  came  those  trials  of  innocence  or  guilt, 
which  are  called  judgments  of  God(l).  The  Saxons 
called  them  ordeals.  Austin,  Ambrose  and  Gregory 
were  among  the  first  practitioners  (2).  If  a  person  ac- 
cused of  crimes  denied  guilt  and  affirmed  his  innocence, 
an  appeal  was  made  to  heaven  for  proof.  The  trial  was 
begun  in  oaths  at  the  shrines  of  saints.  It  proceeded  in 
time  to  fire  and  water.     After  a  most  solemn  service  by 

(5)  1  Tim.iv.  1.  (6)  Murat.  Anttq.  Ital.  Tom,  iv.  Diss.  Ivi. 

(7)  Thomasii  S'acraw.  Lib.  i.  xcv. 

(8)  IxxxvJii.   Or  at.  in  dcdicatione  basilica  novte- -xcm.    In  dedicatione  loci 
illius  ubi  priusfuit  synagoga  -  -xciii.  In  dedicatione  fontis. 

(9)  Benedictio  aqux.  •  -Benedictiofontia,  kSfc. 

(1)  Murat.   Antiq.   Ital.   Tom.  iii.  Diss,  xxxviii.     De  yudiciis  Dei,  sive 
txperimentis  veterum  ad  scrutandum  hominum  crimen,   sive   innocentiam. 

(2)  August.  Epist  Ixxviii.  -  -Greg.  Epist.  Lili.  ii.  Ep.  xxxiii  a^  Justinum 
preetor.  Lib.  vii.  Ep.  xviii. 


342  MISCELLAxVEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY    OR 

a  priest,  the  suspected  person  was  thrown  into  water, 
and  if  he  swam  he  was  held  guilty  ;  or  he  passed  blind- 
fold over  red  hot  irons,  and  if  he  was  burnt  he  was  re- 
puted guilty  ;  or  he  ate  bread  and  cheese,  after  the  priest 
had  consecrated  them,  and  if  he  were  not  choked,  but 
digested  the  food,  he  was  accounted  innocent  (3).  Who- 
ever examines  the  rituals  used  on  these  occasions,  and 
attends  to  the  constituent  ideas  of  them,  analyzing  com- 
plex into  simple  thoughts,  will  not  think  it  improbable, 
that  the  M-jsaical  ritual  on  the  v/aters  of  jealousy,  bap- 
tism by  immersion  in  warer,  and  baptism  by  fire,  and 
many  such  like  appending  ideas,  were  the  originals  of 
these  complex  forms  of  ordeal  :  and  that  the  compound- 
ing of  the  whole  into  one  was  the  work  of  some  half  dis- 
tracted Jews,  in  whose  wild  fancies  the  two  economies 
were  confounded,  and  the  science  apj)lied  to  the  purjx)sc 
of  obtaining  wealth  and  Aaionical  dominion  (4).  The 
address  to  a  priest  for  the  mind  of  God,  was  like  appeal- 
ing to  the  Urim  and  Thummim  of  Aaron.  In  those 
days  a  book  of  incantations  bestowed  by  a  bishop  on  a 
Levite  was  a  treasure,  especially  when  the  Levire  could 
practise  on  inra  its.  Abbot  Bonus,  wiio,  when  he  be- 
gan, had  but  one  missal,  and  one  shirt,  and  who  was 
forced  to  lie  in  bed  till  that  was  washed,  acquired  laiids, 
houses,  and  utensils,  by  knowing  how  to  use  his  missal ; 

(3)  Murat.  ubi  sup  Ordo  ad  faciendwyn  judielwin  ad  aquam  prrgd'ain.  -  - 
Benedictio  aquce  frigidiz  adfurtmn  -  -  Benedictio  pants  et  casei  -  -  Benedictio 
super  aquam  ferventein  -  -  Benedictio  fern  ad  judicium  faciendum. 

(4)  judicium,  aquiefrigidce.  Adjuro  vos  homines,  per  patrem  et  filium,  et 
spiritam  sanctum,  et  per  vestram  christianitatein  quam  suscepistis  -  -  ut 
non  prsesumatis  -  -  accedere  ad  altare  -  -  si  hoc  -  -  fecistis.  Conjuratio  aqux. 
Adjuro  te  aqua--  per  ineffabile  nomen  Jesu  Christi,  qui  etiam  in  te  bapti- 
zari  dignatus  est,  et  suo  baptisinate  consecravit.  Adjuro  te  per  spiritnm 
sanctum,  qui  super  Domiiium  in  te  baptizatutn  descendit,  qui  te  invisibilL 
sanctificatione  sacratam  ad  animarum  purgationem  inenarrabile  constituit 
sacramentum  -  -  ut  nullo  modo  suscipias  hunc  homlnem,  si  in  aliquo  culpabi- 
Ks  est  ex  hoe,  quod  illi  objicitur  -  -  per  virtutem  Domini  Jesu  Christi  rejice 
ex  te,  et  fac  ilium  natare  super  te,  &c. 

TRANSLATION. 
Trial  by  cold  ivater.  I  adjure  you  by  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
and  by  jour  Christianity  which  you  have  received,  that  you  presume  not  -  - 
to  approach  the  altar  -  -  -  if  you  have  done  this  thing-  Conjuration  of  the 
•ivater.  I  adjure  thee,  O  water,  by  the  ineffable  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  who 
deigned  to  be  baptized  in  thee,  and,  consecrated  thee  by  his  baptism.  I 
adjure  thee,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  descended  upon  the  Lord  when  he 
was  baptized  in  thee,  who  by  an  invisible  sanctifying  power  hath  constituted 
thee  a  sacrament  of  inexpressible  value  for  the  holy  cleansing  of  polluted 
souls  -  -  -  that  you  by  no  means  receive  this  man,  if  he  is  in  any  respect 
guilty  of  the  crime  1;  id  to  h's  charge  -  -  -  but  by  the  power  of  the  Lord  Je, 
sus  Christ,  cast  him  out  of  tkee,  and  make  him  to  swim  upon  thee,  &c.  l£d. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH  BAPTISM.  34S 

and  left  to  his  monks,  at  his  death,  a  great  estate,  perso- 
nal and  real,  and,  among  other  things,  a  plenty  of  mis- 
sals, diurnals,  and  nocturnals,  and  one  missal  of  extra- 
ordinary worth  to  be  kept  always  in  an  ark  (5).  That 
cabinet  was  to  the  house  what  the  ark  and  the  law  had 
been  to  their  predecessors,  the  Jews ;  and  a  priest,  a  mis- 
sal, and  the  presence  of  God,  were  always  united  so  that 
the  secrets  of  hearts  were  opened,  and  demons  fled  be- 
fore  them. 

Musick,  both  vocal  and  instrumental,  was  imported 
from  the  temple  of  Solomon  into  the  Jewish  Christian 
church,  and  was  closely  connected  with  baptism.  The 
monks  first  taught  the  children  under  their  tuition  to 
sing.  Then  they  invented  choirs  of  picked  voices  to 
sing  in  their  chapels  :  but  as  chanting  was  officiating  in 
divine  worship,  and  as  none  were  allowed  to  perform 
offices  except  members  of  the  societies,  it  became  ne- 
cessary to  admit  the  children  into  the  choir  by  baptiz- 
ing them,  and  giving  them  the  Lord's  supper.  The 
children  are  named  promiscuously  little  ones,  par^ouli  >• 
infants,  infantes  ;  little  infants,  infantul'i  ;  the  school  of 
singers,  schola  cautorum  ;  and  so  on  (6).  In  the  ninth 
ecntury  canons  became  rivals  of  the  monks,  but  they 
never  succeeded  till  they  took  children,  and  formed 
choirs  in  cathedral  and  baptismal  churches  (7).  An 
emulation  thus  set  up  between  the  conventual  and  coUe^ 
giate  churches,  improved  musick,  but  damasj;ed  bap- 
tism, and  handsome  children  with  fine  voices  fell  a  prey 
to  the  ostentatious  zeal  of  both  monks  and  canons  ; 
nor  were  abbesses  and  nuns  idle  spectators.  Hence 
came  the  charge  against  the  bishop  of  Siena,  that  he  had 
ordained  presbyter  a  litde  infant  not  more  than  twelve 
years  of  age,  who  neither  knew  how  to  chant  vespers, 
or  matins,  or  mass.  Infantidum  habentem  annos  non 
plus  duodeci7n  ad  presbyteratiis  ordinem  e'vexisset,  qui  nee 
vesper  0  sapit,  nee  madodinos  facere^  nee  missa  cant  are 
noDit,  The  addition  of  instrumental  to  vocal  musick 
made  a  fresh  demand  for  children,  for  the  first  instru- 
ments were  a  sort  of  fifes  or  pipes  blown  by  children  of 
the  choir  (8).  Organs  are  of  later  date,  and  antiquaries, 
cannot  determine  precisely  when  they  were  brought  into 

(5)  Murat.  Tom.  iv.  p.  788.  (6)  Ibid.  Tom,  iv.  Ordo  Jiomarn 

(7)  Ibid,  ut  sup. 

(8)  VenaatU  Fortun»ti  Cgrm.  Lib.  U.  C.  10. 


344  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES  NEARLY   OK 

churches  (9).  With  how  much  pleasure  instrumcntai 
musick  was  received,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say. 
Choirs  were  highly  improved,  and  kings  and  great  men 
built  domestick  chapels,  and  formed  choirs  in  their  own 
palaces.  Some  say  the  Franks  were  the  first,  but  others 
with  more  probability  affirm  that  Luitprand,  king  of  the 
Lombards,  was  the  first  who  formed  such  a  choir  for  his 
own  daily  amusement  (1).  This  was  the  origin  of  the 
children  of  royal  chapels,  and  as  the  amusement  became 
general,  of  course  there  was  a  greater  demand  for  chil- 
dren, and  a  stronger  temptation  to  baptize  them.  This 
subject  is  fully  discussed  by  the  learned  and  elegant 
Abbot  of  Saint  Blase  (2). 

The  union  between  baptism  and  the  covenant  of  God 
with  Abraham  and  his  family,  of  which  circumcision 
was  a  sign,  is  to  be  placed  among  these  arbitrary  Jewish 
connexions  :  for  the  New  Testament  doth  not  mention 
any  such  union,  neither  is  there  any  such  contract  be- 
tween God  and  Christians,  nor  is  baptism  a  seal,  nor  is 
there  any  likeness  between  circumcision  and  baptism, 
nor  are  the  treatises  on  this  subject  any  thing  more  than 
heterogeneous  combinations  of  allegory  and  fancy  : 
having  no  foundation  in  the  reason  and  fitness  of  things, 
and  being  supported  by  nothing  but  detached  passages 
of  scripture.  The  baptism  of  proselytes  hath  been 
spoken  of  before. 

Baptism  connected  with  Chivalry. 

Out  of  the  savage  condition  of  men  in  the  rude  ages 
of  the  world  sprang  the  spirit  of  enterprise  :  out  of  the 
success  of  violent  enterprizes  came  conquest  :  out  of 
the  condition  of  conquerors  the  feudal  system  proceed- 
ed :  out  of  the  disorders  of  the  feudal  system  came 
knighthood  as  a  relief  :  and  out  of  knighthood  came  the 
point  of  honour  accompanied  with  many  heroical  virtues, 
which  in  the  end  contributed  their  share  to  refine  socie- 
ty. One  celebrated  modern  writer  hath  shewn,  with 
his  usual  acumen,  that  "the  pastoral  manners,  which 
have  been  adorned  with  the  fairest  attributes  of  peace 

(9)  Mabillon,  Anrtal.  Benedict,    ann.  DCCLVII, Murat.  itt  sup. 

(1)  Murat.  Diss.  Ivi. 

(2)  Gerbert.  De  Cantu  et  Musica  sacra,  in  verb.  Psahnodia Pueri 

Boninf antes  - .  -  -  Chorea  -  -  -  -  Monachi  -  -  -  -  Jiebrceorutn-  -••  Cantus  -  -  -  - 

Jnstrumejita  mysicg,  fjJ'c, 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.         345 

and  innocence,  are  much  better  adapted  to  the  fierce 
and  cruel  habits  of  a  military  life  (3)."  This  idea  is 
countenanced  by  the  sacred  historian,  who  says,  Nimrod 
began  to  be  a  mighty  one  in  the  earth  :  he  was  a  ^nighty 
hunter  :  as  if  the  transition  was  easy  from  the  exercise 
of  domestick  cruelty  to  animals  to  the  subduing  and  op- 
pressing of  mankind  (4).  A  second  ornament  of  mod- 
ern literature  hath  proved  that  the  feudal  system  pre- 
vailed in  the  East  in  early  times  ;  in  Persia,  in  Arabia, 
in  Hindostan,  in  Turkey,  in  Tartary,  and  that  it  was 
apparently  introduced  into  Germany  and  Scandinavia 
by  the  Tartars,  before  the  irruption  of  the  Goths  into 
the  Roman  states  (5).  The  Goths  and  other  Germans 
extended  it  all  over  Europe.  Several  have  traced  the 
influence  of  this  system  on  manners,  and  have  remarked 
that  many  benefits  of  modern  life  originated  in  chivalry, 
for  chivalry  was  a  compound  of  the  wild  and  the  wary, 
the  cruel  and  the  tender,  the  rapacious  and  the  gen- 
erous, the  extravagant  and  the  regular,  the  profligate  and 
the  devout.  In  time  it  was  reduced  to  order,  and  the 
solemnities  of  religion  were  associated  with  romantick 
ideas  of  elves  and  fairies,  sprights,  magicians,  enchanters 
and  giants  ;  and  "to  love  Go^ and  the  /adies  wsis  the 
first  lesson  of  chivalry  (6). "  After  enthusiasm  had 
spent  its  force,  this  institution  produced  humanity  in 
war,  refinement  in  gallantry,  and  the  point  of  honour, 
from  all  which  innumerable  benefits  proceeded  to  socie- 
ty ;  for  the  virtues  of  the  knights  got  the  better  of  their 
excesses  (7). 

It  is  curious  to  hear  the  exhortation  anciently  given  to 
a  knight,  when  he  was  invested  with  the  collar  of  the 
order.  He  was  advised  to  fight  under  the  banner  of 
Jesus,  to  recollect  with  what  patience  he  endured  the 
insults  of  Pilate,  Herod,  and  the  soldiers,  and  he  was 

^  (3)  E.  Gibbon,  Esq,     History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Soman 

Empire.     Vol.   ii.   Chap.   xxvi.        Manners   of  the  Pastoral  7iations 

Progress  of  the  Huns  from  China  to  Europe,   iSfc. 

(4)  Genesis,  Chap.  x.  8,  9. 

(5)  Ricliardson's  Preface  to  his  Arabic  and  Persian  Dictionary. 

(6)  Stuart's  View  cf  Society  in  Europe.  Origin  of  Knighthood -- Sources 
sf  Chivalry,  iSfc 

(7)  Bernard  Giustinian  Hist.  Cronol.  deW  origine  degVprdini  militar:  e  c'l 
tutte  lereligioni  cavalleresche.    Fenezia,  1692. 

44 


346  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES    NEARLY    OR 

admonished  to  revenge  his  death  (8).  It  is  more  cu- 
rious to  observe  that  the  Catholick  rituals  used  at  the 
ceremony  required  the  knight  on  his  oath  to  declare  his 
abhorrence  of  Anabaptism  (9),  and  his  unfeigned  as- 
sent to  the  Athanasian  creed  :  but  the  ridicule  is 
extremely  heightened  by  remarkii^g  further,  that  "  the 
renowned  Saint  George  of  England,  the  patron  of  arms, 
of  chivalry,  and  the  garter,"  was,  probably,  no  other 
person  than  the  infamous  George  of  Cappadocia,  the 
Anabaptist  Arian,  archbishop  of  Alexandria,  the  enemy 
and  the  usurper  of  the  throne  of  Athanasius,  the  man 
who  rose  from  nothing,  by  a  lucrative  contract  to  sup- 
ply the  army  with  bacon,  into  the  wealth  of  a  prince, 
and  the  dignity  of  a  prelate,  and  whom  the  populace, 
driven  mad  by  his  extortions  and  cruelties,  murdered  as 
an  enemy  to  gods  and  men.  By  a  metamorphosis  truly 
diverting,  this  blasted  heretick,  who  died  in  his  sins, 
hath  been  transformed  into  a  Catholick  saint  and  a  mar- 
tyr, and  his  worship  and  his  fame  have  spread  over  all 
Christendom  (l) 

The  institution  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath  is  placed  by 
Justiniani  in  the  year  eight  hundred  and  five,  and  this  is 
probably  the  true  date.  Egbert,  the  father  of  the  En- 
glish monarchy,  was  at  that  time  the  reigiing  king  of 
Wessex.  He  had  spent  twelve  years  of  his  life  at  the 
court  of  Charlemagne,  where,  it  is  credible,  he  formed 
the  plan  of  uniting  the  heptarchy,  and  where  he  had 
learned  the  art  of  war,  and  the  politicks  of  the  times. 
This  date  agrees  also  with  the  ceremonies  of  the  institu- 
tion ;  for  the  bathing  is  evidently  taken  from  that  kind 
of  baptism  which  was  in  general  use  in  the  time  of 
Charlemagne.  It  is  not  a  very  improbable  conjecture, 
that  it  was  invented  as  a  lure  to  decoy  the  wild  Pagan 
soldiers  of  the  time  into  a  profession  of  Christianity  under 
the  specious  form  of  military  honour.  On  the  continent 
the  ceremony  of  bathing  was  performed  in  the  baptismal 

(8)  Ibid.  p.  8.  Regula  militaris  ordinis  prxcepta  a  Wilhd'm.o,  cum  in  re- 
gent Ronianotum  eligtretur  a  principibus  imperii  in  comitiis  Coloniensibus. 
An.  1247.  Rex  Bohemix  jugum  impegitin  coUum  tyronis  ita  dicens,  -  -  - 
Memento  quoniam  servator  mundi  coram  Anna  pontifice  pro  te  colaphiza- 
tus  et  illusus  -  -  -  cujus  mortem  ulcisci  te  moneo. 

(9)  p.  34. 

(1)  Gibbon's  Hist,  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Vol.  n. 
Chap  xxiii.  On  the  other  side  see  Mr.  Pegge's  observat.  on  the  hist.  of^. 
George,  Archaeol.  Vol.  v.  i. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  347 

churches  of  St.  John  (2).  Cola  Di  Rienzo,  or  Nicholas, 
the  son  of  Lawrence,  the  celebrated  tribune  of  Rome, 
was  bathed  in  the  Lateran  baptistery  at  his  investiture; 
and  in  his  manifesto,  which  was  dispersed  in  all  courts, 
it  is  called  a  baptism  (3).  In  England,  it  should  seem, 
the  bathing  was  performed  in  a  moveable  bathin.^-tub, 
for  it  is  said,  in  an  ancient  ordinal,  "  the  esquires  gov- 
ernours  shall  make  ready  a  bath,  handsomely  hung  with 
linen,  both  within  and  without  the  vessel,  taking  care 
that  it  be  covered  with  tapistrie  and  blankets,  in  respect 

of  the  coldness  of  the  night, and  the  esquire  being 

out  of  the  bath,  the  barbour  shall  take  away  the  bath, 
with  whatsoever  appertaineth  thereto,  both  within  and 
without  for  his  fee." 

In  the  year  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-eight  Henry  i. 
king  of  England,  conferred  the  honour  of  knighthood 
on  Geoffry,  son  of  Fulco,  count  of  Anjou,  at  Rouen  in 
Normandy  at  Whitsuntide,  the  usual  time  of  adminis- 
tering baptism.  Geoffry  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  The 
time,  however,  was  arbitrary,  and  the  investiture  was 
performed  on  court  festivals,  as  at  the  creation  of  the 
titles  of  princes,  at  coronations,  at  royal  baptisms,  and 
so  on.  James  i.  of  Scodand,  conferred  the  honour  of 
the  knighthood  of  the  Bath  on  fifty  young  gentlemen  at 
the  baptism  of  his  twin  sons  James  and  Alexander  in  the 
October  of  fourteen  hundred  and  thirty.  Instruction 
preceded  the  ceremony  of  bathing,  for  the  king's  cham- 
berlain took  along  with  him  into  the  chamber  of  the  es- 
quire, "  the  most  gentle  and  grave  knights  to  inform, 
coun.el,  and  instruct  him  touching  the  order  and  feats 
of  cluvalrie,  and  in  the  order  and  course  of  the  bath." 
These  gentlemen  are  called  in  some  rituals  the  govern- 
ors, and  in  others  the  godfathers  of  the  esquire,  and  a 
part  of  their  service  was,  "  to  undress  the  said  esquire, 
and  put  him  naked  into  the  bath."  The  ritual  says  : 
*'  let  him  go  into  the  bath  in  token  of  washing  away  sin, 
and  every  vice,   that  he  may  come  out  as  pure  as  a  boy 

(2)  p.  157.  An.  1388. 

(3)  Johannis  de  Bazano  Chron.  Mittinense.  apud  Mnrat  ititer  Rer.  Ital  Scrip- 
tores  Tom.  XV.  Ad  honorem  et  gloriam  Dei  Patris  et  Filii  et  Spiiitus  Sanc- 
ti,  et  lieatorum  apostolorum  Petri  et  Pauli  et  sancti  Johannis  Baptisix,  in 
cujus  sancto  templo  in  Conca  sancti  principis  et  g^hd'iosje  memorire  snncti 
Constantini  imperatoris  Christi  amicissimi  el  Avip:usti,  lavatoriwm  ot  ^«/>. 
tismum  glorioso  militari  accepimus,  &c.  An.  mcccxlvii. 


343  MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OE 

after  his  baptism  (4)."  The  new  name,  and  the  white 
habit,  and  every  other  concomitant  of  papal  minor  bap- 
tism, were  incorporated  in  this  ceremonial.  It  was 
truly  descriptive  to  put  on  the  knight  first  a  white  habit 
in  token  of  innocence,  and  then  a  scarlet  vest  to  signify 
that  he  was  to  shed  his  blood  in  defence  of  the  church. 
When  a  young  knight  was  under  age,  and  could  not 
make  oath,  a  substitute  was  allowed  to  swear  for  him, 
and  to  pledge  himself  that  the  young  gentleman  should 
ratify  by  his  own  oath  as  soon  as  he  came  of  age  what  had 
been  done  for  him  in  his  minority.  It  is  a  very  probable 
conjecture,  that  from  these  practices  of  the  courts  and 
the  military,  the  clergy  took  the  hint  of  sponsors,  and 
incorporated  it  with  ecclesiastical  baptism. 

The  whimsical  union  of  baptism  with  knighthood  af- 
fected both.  Baptism  communicated  ideas  of  purity  to 
knighthood  ;  and  knighted  polluted  baptism  with  su- 
perstition. There  remains  one  remarkable  instance  of 
the  latter  in  the  modern  baptismal  cross.  The  cross, 
which  had  been  always  an  object  of  horror  to  the  eyes  of 
a  Roman  citizen,  bj  a  military  stratagem  was  transform- 
ed into  a  synibol  of  force  and  courage.  A  modern  suc- 
cessful investigator  of  ecclesiastical  romance  hath  dis- 
tinctly considered  the  standard,  the  dream,  and  the  ce- 
lestial sign  of  the  first  Christian  emperor,  and  hath 
brought  the  famous  vision  of  Constantine  to  an  happy 
conclusion  (5).  True  it  is,  Catholicks  always  discover- 
ed a  gross  attachment  to  the  sign  of  the  cross  :  but  the 
affixing  of  it  to  baptism  seems  to  have  taken  rise  in  the 
time  of  crusading.  It  was  in  the  eleventh  century,  that 
all  Europe  was  fired  with  the  frenzy  of  recovering  the 
holy  land  out  of  the  hands  of  infidels.  This  was  effect- 
ed by  the  tales  of  pilgrims  and  the  enthusiastical  sermons 
of  the  monks.  The  cross  was  the  badge  of  such  as  en- 
gaged in  this  enterprize,  and  six  millions  of  persons  as- 
sumed the  sign,  for  popes  and  kings  vied  with  each  oth- 
er in  lavishing  privileges,  secular  and  sacred,  on  all  who 
entered  on  this  holy  warfare  (6).  During  two  centuries 
the  fury  lasted,  and  within  this  period  when  esquires 
were  invested  with  the  honour  of  knighthood,   they  at 

(4)  Intret  balneum  in  signum  lotionis  peccati,  et  cujuslibet  vitii,  &c.  pu- 
ritatis  prout  est  puer,  qui  exit  de  baptismate. 

(5)  Gibbon's  Hist.  Vol,  ii  Chap,  xx 

(6)  Robertson's  Hist,  of  Charles  V.  Vol.i.  Sect.  i. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED   WITH    BAPTISW.  349 

the  sartje  time  frequently  assumed  the  cross.  The  rit- 
ual seems  to  have  been  taken  tVoin  the  cesemony  of  giv- 
in.s:  the  cross  to  minors,  at  their  investiture,  along  with 
the  ensiglis  of  the  order  of  knighthood  ;  and  the  military 
terms  seem  expressive  of  an  obligation  to  become  a  cru- 
sader. The  words  are  these  :  "  We  do  sign  him  with 
the  si^j^a  of  the  cross,  in  token  that  hereafter  he  shall  not 
be  ashamed  to  confess  the  faith  of  Christ  crucified,  and 
manfully  toy?!;j72^  under  his  banner^  against  sin,  the  worid^ 
and  the  devil,  and  to  continue  Christ's  faithful  soldier -diA 
servant  unto  his  life's  end."  A  comparison  of  tins  ritual 
with  that,  which  was  used  at  the  investiture  of  a  knight, 
and  which  is  too  long  to  be  inserted  here,  renders  it 
highly  probable  that  this  modern  baptismal  cross  was  not 
taken  from  the  ecclesiastical  and  popular  crossing  of  ear- 
ly times,  but  from  the  military  cross  of  ti;e  dark  ages, 
when  the  miHtia  of  the  church  was  distinguished  from 
other  classes  of  Christians  by  this  sigTi. 

Baptism  connected  with  Sacerdotal  Habits. 

In  ecclesiastical  history,  two  sorts  of  habits  and  orna- 
ments are  connected  with  baptism.  The  first  are  natur- 
al, decent,  and  proper  for  adult  baptism  by  dipping.  Of 
this  kind  are  the  waxed  drawers  of  the  pope  of  Rome,  and 
the  sandals  tied  over  the  heel  of  the  archbishop  of  Milan  ; 
and  the  usual  dresses  in  which  people  are  dipped.  There 
is  another  connexion  wholly  arbitrary  and  superstitious. 
This  prevailed  in  the  dark  ages,  and  yet  continues  ;  thatis, 
the  ornaments  continue  to  be  worn,  and  a  sublime  science 
accounts  for  the  meaning  of  them. 

The  learned  doctor  Du  Saussaye  of  Paris,  in  a  most 
elegant  work,  entitled.  The  whole  Armour  of  a  Bishop, 
the  result  of  the  study  of  twenty-five  years,  describes 
every  episcopal  ornament  (7)  :  as  the  pastoral  staff,  the- 
episcopal  ring,  the  sandals,  the  mitre,  and  the  triple 
crown,  with  all  other  appendages.  What  can  seem 
less  connected  with  baptism  than  the  episcopal  ring  ? 
Remove  back  to  the  ages  of  allegory,  and  it  will  be  found 
that  the  bishop,  like  Saint  Paul,  was  animated  with  a 
godl)  jealousy  to  espouse  the  church  as  a  chaste  virgin 
to  Christ  :    for  as  St.   Jerom  most  supercelestially  de* 

(7)  Andres  Du  Saussaye  Pimoplia  Episcopalis  ParisUs.  1646. 


350     MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

scribes  him,  the  bishop  is  the  organ  of  the  omnip- 
otence of  Christ  (8).  In  execution  of  his  office,  by- 
order  of  council,  on  the  first  day  of  Lent  he  espouses  the 
church  by  fastening  up  the  doors  of  the  baptistery  and 
sealing  them  with  the  episcopal  ring :  for  a  garden  en- 
closed is  my  sister,  my  spouse,  a  spring  shut  up,  a 
fountain  sealed  (9).  Six  weeks  after,  at  Easter,  the 
bride  is  delivered  of  a  family,  and  the  baptistery,  which 
David  calls  the  womb  of  the  morning  (lie  means  the 
morning  of  holy  Saturday)  brings  forth  a  nation  of  chil- 
dren in  a  day,  all  children  of  God,  and  the  bishop,  and 
the  church.  Episcopacy,  triple  crowns,  diplomas  prop- 
erly sealed,  baptism,  and  all  other  papal  ceremonies  are 
all  complex  and  inexhaustible  subjects,  not  on  account 
of  their  first  principles,  but  on  account  of  the  old  age  of 
the  world.  How  much  are  the  geniusses  of  mankind 
diversified !  Abroad  Canonists  study  hard,  and  write 
great  books,  pro  and  con,  to  settle  on  which  hand,  and 
on  which  finger  of  which  hand,  the  bishop  ought,  agree- 
ably to  the  true  spirit  and  intent  of  the  canon  law,  to 
wear  the  ring,  and  this  important  article  displays  what 
no  laws  of  uniformity  can  destroy,  variety  of  senti- 
ment (l).  Some  laugh  at  the  whole,  and  say,  the  dig- 
nified clergy  have  gloves  and  no  gloves,  sticks  and  no 
sticks  ;  and  that  the  pontiff  himself  at  his  institution  is 
dressed  and  undressed,  capped  and  uncapped,  shod  and 
unshod  ;  and  in  the  end  is  as  like  Peter  as  any  Jew- 
in  Italy  ever  was  (2).  Others  censure  these  profane 
wits  for  speaking  evil  of  dignities,  and  quote  Saint  Jude 
and  Saint  Jerom  to  prove  they  are  guilty  of  blasphemy. 
Trite  as  these  whimsical  connections  may  appear, 
they  are,  however,  very  serious  in  their  consequences. 
The  spiritual  relationship  of  the  bishop  to  the  church, 
establishes  his  paternal  right  to  the  children  born  of 
water  and  the  spirit  at  the  baptistery.  It  also  forms  an 
alliance  between  godfathers,  godmothers,  godchildren, 
and  their  children,  which  puts  them  in  a  condition  of 
affinity  or  consanguinity,  so  that  canon  laws,  courts, 
prohibitions  to  intermarry,  dispensations  to  annul  pro- 

(8)  Ibid.  Episcopus  est  Christi  omnlpotentise  organum. 

(9)  Concil  Tolet.  svii.  Can.  ii.    Ostia  sancti  baptisterii,  &c. 

(1)  Saussaye  ut  sub.  pag  268. 

(2)  Ibid.  Lib.  i.     Dt  Mitrx  antiquitate  Cap.  V.   Tiarce  summi  fionfificisy 
contra  Molinxi  impias  scurrilitates  defensio. 


REMOTELY    CONNECTED    WITH    BAPTISM.         351 

hibitions,  and  a  thousand  other  civil  inconveniences, 
proceed  from  the  fanciful  union.  The  act  of  parliament, 
which  set  aside  all  canonical  impediments  of  marriage, 
except  such  as  were  contrary  to  God's  law,  attributes 
the  abuses  to  the  spirit  of  jurisdiction,  and  the  love  of 
lucre  in  the  court  of  Rome  (3).  By  such  canons,  mar- 
riages  have  been  dissolved,  and  children  bastardized, 
fines  levied,  and  great  sums  exacted,  because  parents, 
by  performing  the  office  of  susceptors  to  their  own  chil- 
dren, have  become  too  near  akin  (4). 

Baptism  connected  with  Witchcraft. 

Some  of  the  old  Baptists  have  been  most  plentifully 
abused  for  calling  infant  sprinkling  the  Demi's  baptism 
(5).  In  the  heat  of  controversy,  disputants  are  too 
eager  to  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  to  give  themselves 
much  trouble  to  explain  the  premises,  and  phraseology 
is  seldom  attended  to.  The  Devil's  baptism  must  now 
appear  a  very  offensive  expression  to  such  as  make  con- 
science of  performing  the  ordinance  in  the  method  ex- 
ploded :  however  it  is  a  justice  due  to  the  manners  of 
ancestors,  to  soften  the  asperity  of  their  style  by  advert- 
ing to  the  facts,  which  probably  gave  rise  to  it,  although 
many  who  used  it  in  aftertimes  might  not  be  aware  of 
its  origin. 

It  appears  by  Scotch  records  of  undoubted  authentic- 
ity, that  so  lately  as  the  year  sixteen  hundred  and  seven- 
ty-eight, ten  women  on  one  day,  by  the  supreme  judges 
of  the  nation,  were  convicted  on  their  own  confessions, 
condemned  to  be  strangled  at  a  stake,  and  burned  for 
the  imaginary  crime  of  having  carnal  commerce  with 
the  devil  (6).  Part  of  the  indictment  runs  thus  : 
"Nevertheless  ye  are  guilty  of  the  said  crime  [of  witch- 
craft] in  so  far  as,  about  two  years  since,  ye  the  said 

(3)  32  Hen.  viii.  Chap.  38.  An  act  concerning  pre-contracts  of  marriages, 
and  touching  degrees  of  consanguinity. 

(4)  Deusdedit.  Pap<e  Epist.  ad  Gordianum  Hispalens.  Episc. 
Paschalis   Papce  n.  fragment.  Epist.  ad  Rheginum  episc.    Qui  ex  compa- 

tre  vel  commatre  post  susceptos  filios  de  fonte  nati  fuerunt,  conjungi  non 
possunt. 

(5)  Robert  Some's  Godly  treatise.  London.  1589.  Cap.  12.  The  Ana- 
baptistical  recusants  hold  that  baptisvi  adm.inistered  and  received  in  the  Popish 
church  is  not  God's,  hut  the  devil's  baptism,. 

(6)  Hugo    Arnot,  Esi^.    Advocate.   Hist,   of  Edinburgh.   1779.       Book  i. 

Cfiap.  i.     p.    193 Records  of  privy  council  .."  Records  of  justiciary. 

Sept,  13,    1678. 


352     MISCELLAKEOUS  ARTICLES  NEARLY  OR 

Isobell  Elliott,  being  then  servant  to  Helen  Laing,.  in 
Peastoun,  an  witch  ;  ye,  at  her  desire,  staid  at  home 
from  the  kirk,  and  vras  present  at  a  meeting  with  the 
devil,  the  said  Helen  Laing  and  Marion  Campbell 
witches,  in  the  said  Helen's  house,  where  the  devil  kiss- 
ed you  and- caused  you  renew  your  baptism,  and 

baptized  you    upon  the  face,  with  an  vjaff  of  his  hand 

like  a  dewing,  calling  you  Jean and  since  that  time 

ye  have  had  several  meetings  with  the  devil."  The 
cruel  sentence  of  death  was  duly  executed. 

The  baptism  here  described  is  a  light  sprinkling 
with  a  jerk  of  the  wrist.  Tne  devil,  dipping  the  tips 
of  his  nimble  fingers  in  water,  and  snapping  the  flexible 
joints,  baptized  Isobell  Elliott  by  besprinkling  her 
face  as  softly  as  with  drops  of  dew.  It  should  seem, 
this  is  the  sense  of  waving  his  hand  like  a  dewing. 

There  were  in  Scodand  at  tliat  time  by  computation 
two  hundred  thousand  beggars,  who  lived  a  vagabond 
life,  without  any  subjection  to  the  magistrate,  or  any  re- 
gard to  laws,  human  or  divine,  habituated  to  promiscu- 
ous incest,  and  to  the  commission  of  all  sorts  of  crimes. 
They  assembled  sometimes  on  mountains,  and  were  of- 
ten seen  at  country  weddings,  markets,  burials,  and  on 
all  other  publick  occasions  where  any  thing  was  given 
away,  or  where  any  thing  could  be  procured  by  theft. 
They  were,  both  men  and  women,  perpetually  drunk, 
cursing,  blaspheming,  and  fighting  together.  A  con- 
temporary writer  says  :  "  No  magistrate  could  ever  dis- 
cover, or  be  informed,  which  way  one  in  a  hundred  of 
these  wretches  died,  or  that  ever  they  were  baptized  (7)." 
It  is  not  improbable,  diat  the  devil  of  the  women  above 
mentioned,  was  one  of  a  company  of  these  vagabonds, 
who  lived  by  their  wits,  exactly  like  the  rogue  Torribio, 
the  husband  of  Coscolina,  the  gipsy  fortune-teller,  and 
the  father  of  Scipio,  the  valet  of  the  renowned  Signior 
de  Santillane  (8).  Monsieur  Le  Sage  described  real 
manners,  when  he  put  the  following  account  into  the 
mouth  of  Scipio.  "  When  my  mother  for  the  honour 
of  her  profession  (of  fortune  telling)  thought  she  must 
make  the  devil  appear  in  her  operations,  Torribio  al- 
ways acted  that  part,  which  he  performed  perfectly  well, 
the  roughness  of  his  voice,  and  ugliness  of  his  face  giv- 

(7)  Fletcher  as  quoted  by  Arnot.     pag.  194. 


REMOTELY  CONNECTED  WITH  BAPTISM.  353 

ing  him  an  appearance  suitable  to  the  character  he  rep- 
resented. Those  that  were  in  the  least  timorous  were 
always  terrified  by  my  father's  figure.  But  one  day, 
unfortunately,  there  came  a  brutal  fellow  of  a  captain  lo 
see  the  devil,  whom  he  ran  through  the  body.  The 
holy  office,  informed  of  the  devil's  death,  sent  its  officers 
to  the  house  of  Coscolina,  whom  they  seized  with  all 
her  effects  ;  and  I,  who  was  then  but  seven  years  old, 
was  put  into  the  hospital  of  Los  Ninos."  Gipseys  and 
fortune-tellers  were  not  the  only  persons,  who  represent- 
ed the  devil ;  the  character  was  acted  on  the  stage,  and 
thence  came  the  phrase  of  playing  the  devil  (9). 

It  is  very  credible  that  these  vagrants  held  nocturnal 
meetings,  and  that  by  various  arts  they  decoyed  thither 
servant  girls  and  vulgar  women  under  pretences  of  tell- 
ing their  fortunes,  communicating  the  knowledge  of 
spells  and  charms,  and  teaching  them  how  to  practise 
arts  of  juggling  and  incantation.  By  such  means  they 
laid  many  under  contribution,  and  acquired  an  easy 
livelihood,  beginning  in  grimace,  and  ending  in  villany. 
Thus  they  express  themselves  : 

With  juggling  tricks  and  mournful  cries, 
We  spend  six  months  in  gaieties. 
With  mournful  cries  and  juggling  tricks. 
We  pass  away  the  other  six  (l). 

His  majesty  James  I,  in  whose  time  there  was  afeare- 
Jul  abounding  of  these  detestable  slaves  of  the  devil ^  in  his 
great  wisdom,  for  the  consolation  of  his  timorous  sub- 
jects, condescended  to  write  a  dialogue  on  demonology 
against  the  damnable  opinions  of  two  persons,  ^one  called 
Scot,  an  Englishman,  who  was  not  ashamed  in  publike 
print  to  detiy,  that  there  coidd  be  such  a  thing  as  witch- 
craft ;  and  so  maintaine  the  old  error  of  the  Sadduces  in 
denying  of  spirits :  the  other  called  Wierus,  a  German 
physician,  who  wrote  an  apology  and  a  directory  for 
these  gentry  (2).  The  opinion  between  these  two  was 
that  of  his  majesty  and  most  of  his  subjects.  They  be- 
lieved witchcraft,  and  punished  it  by  law  :  yet  probably 
these  witches   and   devils  were  nothing   but   beggars, 

(9)  Collection  of  old  Plays.     Lusty  Jwoentiiss  i^c. 

(1)  Spectacle  de  la  Nature.   Vol   vi.  Dial  vi. 

(2)  The  workes  of  tlie  most  liigh  and  inig'hty  prince  James  -  -  Published 
by  James,  bishop  of  Winton.    London,  1610.     The  preface. 

45 


354  MISCELLANEOUS    ARTICLES   NEARLY  OR 

thieves,  fortune-tellers  and  credulous  dupes.  The  royal 
author  says  :  that  the  devil  being  a  learned  knave  taught 
his  disciples  many  things :  that  he  understood  physiog- 
nomy ;  that  his  scholars  crept  into  credit  with  princes, 
by  foretelling  things  ;  that  they  pleased  their  princely 
patrons  by  dainty  dishes  ;  that  they  taught  many  Jug- 
lane  tricks  at  cards  and  dice,  and  so  on  (3).  This 
agrees  with  foreign  accounts,  for  at  Lisle  in  Flanders 
the  devil  taught  some  of  his  very  young  female  disciples 
to  kill  and  steal  "thirty  young  ducks  and  chickens  in 
less  than  two  hours  time  (4)."  Similar  feats  are  met 
with  in  all  accounts  of  witchcraft,  foreign  and  domestick. 
In  England  it  happened,  very  luckily,  that  "  the  devil 
accused  some  of  the  godly  ofrecehing  stolen  goods  (5)  ;" 
and  as  such  accusations  were  laid  against  some  ot  the 
brethren  in  New  England  also,  a  very  happy  effect  fol- 
lowed (6).  In  sixteen  hundred  ninety-two,  his  excel- 
lency the  Governor,  and  the  Honourable  Council,  con- 
sulted several  ministers  on  the  then  present  witchcrafts 
in  the  village  of  Salem.  Of  the  answer  returned  by  the 
ministers,  the  following  is  the  seventh  article.  *'vii.  We 
know  not,  whether  some  remarkable  affronts  given  to 
the  devils  by  our  disbelieving  of  those  testimonies, 
whose  whole  force  and  strength  is  from  them  alone,  may 
not  put  a  period  unto  the  progress  of  the  dreadful  calam- 
ity begun  upon  iis^  in  the  accusation  of  so  many  persons, 
whereof  we  hope  some  are  yet  clear  from  the  great  trans- 
gression laid  unto  their  charge  (7)."  The  testimony  of 
the  devil  in  a  thief  against  one  of  his  own  children  for 
receiving  stolen  goods,  had  appeared  very  credible  :  but 
when  the  same  devil  laid  an  accusation  against  a  church 
member,  it  became  a  case  of  conscience,  and  his  evidence 
began  to  be  suspected.  Such  suspicions  affronted  him, 
and  he  multiplied  accusations,  which  in  the  end  dissi- 

(3)  Book  i.  Chap.  vi.      The  Devil's  Contract,  &c. 

(4;  Collection  of  modern  relations  of  matters  of  fact  concerning'  witches 
and  witchcraft.  London  1693.  The  discovery  of  thirty  and  two  young 
g-irls  in  the  cloister  of  Madam  Bourignon  at  Lisle,  found  to  be  witches. 
1661.    Sect.  88. 

(5)  Bernard's  Guide  to  grand  jurymen  in  cases  of  witchcraft,  p.  207,  "ZCi^. 

(6)  Cotton  Mather's  Tryals  of  several  witches  lately  executed  in  New- 
England  :  published  by  the  special  command  of  the  Governor.  Printed 
at  Boston,  New-England  -  -  Reprinted  at  London.   1693.  od  Edit. 

Increase  Mather's  Further  account  of  the  tryals  of  the  New-England 
witches.    London.  1693. 

(7)  Increase  Mather's  Cases  of  Conscience  coHCerning  £vil  Spirits.  London. 
?693. 


REMOTELY   CONNECTED  WITH   BAPTISM.  355 

pated  the  whole  mist  of  witchcraft.  Satan,  however,  re- 
venged the  affront,  for  he  caused  the  witches  to  say  "  that 
they  formed  their  assemblies  much  after  the  manner  of 
congregational  churches,  and  that  they  had  a  baptism,  ar.d 
a  supper,  and  officers  among  them,  abominably  resem- 
bling those  of  our  Lord,''^ 

The  devil  of  Great-Britain  had  very  early  either  turn- 
ed the  institutes  of  religion  into  ridicule,  or  used  them 
as  charms.  Satan  had  done  the  first,  and  had  taught  his 
disciples  to  practise  tiie  last.  To  go  no  further  back  than 
the  conquest.  Every  body  knows  the  sexerity  and 
cruelty  of  the  forest  laws.  "  The  punishment  for  kil- 
ling the  king's  deer  was  loss  of  eyes  and  castration, 
a  punishment  far  worse  than  death.  This  will  easily 
account  for  the  troops  of  banditti,  which  formerly  lurked 
in  the  royal  forests,  and  from  their  superior  skill  in  arch- 
ery and  knowledge  of  all  the  recesses  of  those  unfre- 
quented solitudes,  found  it  no  difficult  matter  to  resist 
or  elude  the  civil  power  (8)."  The  most  famous  of 
these  heroes  were,  in  the  forest  of  Sherwood,  Robin  Hood, 
and  in  the  forest  of  Englewood  in  the  North,  Adam 
Bell,  Clym  of  the  Clough,  or  Clement  of  the  Valley,  and 
William  of  Cloudesly.  Such  thieves  robbed  the  abbies 
and  castles  of  the  rich,  and  relieved  the  poor.  "  Robin 
entertained  a  hundred  men,  and  they  killed  none  but 
such  as  would  invade  them,  or  by  resistance  for  their 
own  defence  (9)."  These  men  were  in  high  favour  with 
the  common  people,  and  it  is  very  credible,  that  many- 
ancient  ballads  were  of  their  own  composing.  Robin 
Hood  was  at  least  a  yeoman,  and  some  learned  anti- 
quaries  affirm  that  his  true  name  was  Robert  Fitz-ooth, 
and  that  he  had  real  pretensions  to  the  Earldom  of  Hun- 
tington. 

Between  this  class  of  men  and  the  resident  poor  was 
another  large  body,  pedlars,  thieves,  beggars,  and 
fortune-tellers,  who  probably  were  connected  with  both. 
Gilderoy  was  one  of  this  order.  This  famous  robber 
was  caught  and  hanged  at  Edinburgh  about  the  time  of 
the  Reformation,  In  the  ballad  his  widow  describes 
and  laments  him  thus  : 

[This  ballad,  with  a  number  of  others  which  occur  in  these  nar- 
rations, are  not  considered  worthy  of  being  inserted.  [^Ed. 

(8)  Percy's  Reliques  of  Ancient  English  Foetrv.  Vol,  i.  Book.  i.  viii. 


556  MISCELLANEOUS   ARTICLES  NEARLY   OR 

James  v.  of  Scotland  wrote  one  ballad,  entitled  the 
jolly  beggar,  and  one  called  the  gaberlunzie  man.  Gab- 
erlunyie,  or  gaberlunzie  is  a  wallet,  and  a  gaberlunzie 
man  is  a  wallet  man,  a  tinker,  a  beggar.  This  is  another 
of  the  order  just  now  mentioned.  He  is  represented  in 
the  ballad  as  decoying  a  young  country  woman  from  her 
mother's  house.  — 

A  very  probable  account  may  be  given  of  the  atten- 
dance of  vagabonds  and  fortune-tellers  at  baptisms,  for 
it  was  the  custom  to  make  good  cheer  on  these  occa- 
sions, and  under  servants  knew  how  to  trade  in  divina- 
tion with  offal  victuals.  The  following  is  the  bill  of  fare 
of  a  dinner  at  Tynningham,  the  house  of  the  Right  Hon, 
t'le  Earl  of  Haddington,  on  Thursday  the  twenty-first  of 
August,  sixteen  hundred  seventy-nine,  when  his  Lord- 
ship's  son  was  baptized. 

Fresh  beef. 6  pieces. 

Mutton 16  pieces. 

Veal 4  pieces. 

Legs  of  venison 3 

Geese.  -- 6 

Pigs 4 

Old  turkeys. 2 

Young  turkeys 8 

Salmon.  .,.-----  4 
Tongues  and  udders.  -  12 

Ducks 14  ■ 

Roasted  fowls.  ,  ...  -  6 

Boiled  fowls 9 

Chickens  roasted.  -  -  -  30 

Ditto  stewed 12 

Ditto  fricasseed.  -  -  -  -  8 

Ditto  in  pottage 10 

Lamb. 2  sides. 

Wild  fowl 22 

Pigeons,  baked,  roast- 
ed and  stewed,  -  -  182 
Hares  roasted.  -  -  -  -  -10 

Ditto  fricasseed 6 

Hams. 3  .«, 

A   puncheon  of  claret,    &c.   (1). 

(1)  ffousehold  Book.  Arnot.  Book  i.  Chap,  iv.  pag.  176. 
Ibid,  pag,  173.  -  -See  page  60.  Lettyj  of  James  vi.  to  the  Laird  of  Bal 
foiir,  on  the  baptism  of  the  princess. 


I 


REMOTELY  CONNECrED  WITH  BAPTISM.  357 

Nor  is  it  improbable  that  people  of  this  kind  versed 
in  all  the  arts  of  legerdemain,  should  make  themselves 
merry  with  the  tricks  of  the  monks,  and  particularly  with 
what  they  might  ludicrously  call  the  baptizing  of  the 
devil,  that  is,  the  exorcism  previous  to  baptism,  or  the 
expelling  of  the  devil  by  sprinkling  holy  water.  Writers 
on  witchcraft  observe  that  when  a  person  was  bewitched, 
it  was  sometimes  said,  "  it  was  possible  the  devil  had 
not  been  conjured  out  of  the  party  before  baptism  by  the 
exorcist,  or  the  midwife  had  not  baptized  him  well,  but 
had  omitted  some  part  of  the  sacrament,  and  that  it  was 
a  general  rule,  that  who  or  whatsoever  is  newly  exorcis- 
ed must  be  rebaptized  (2)."  Every  unbaptized  person 
was  supposed  by  the  clergy  to  be  possessed  with  the 
devil :  the  first  work  therefore  was  to  exorcise  the  par- 
ty to  be  baptized.  This  was  done  by  sprinkling ;  audit 
appears  by  a  British  canon,  which  will  be  mentioned  on 
another  occasion,  that  the  priests  sometimes  baptized, 
perhaps  to  save  trouble,  or  perhaps  when  a  child  was 
dying,  by  only  sprinkling  holy  water,  confounding  in 
their  haste  exorcism  with  baptism  (3)."  King  James 
expressly  says:  *'the  devil  mocked  the  holy  water  of 
the  Papists;"  and  his  majesty  had  collected  this  from 
the  trials  of  witches.  There  is  an  old  black  letter  ballad 
containing  thirty-three  verses,  of  which  the  following 
are  a  part : 

Since  Popery  of  late  is  so  much  in  debate 
And  great  strivincrs  have  been  to  restore  itj 
I  cannot  forbear  openly  to  declare 
That  the  ballad-makers  are  for  it. 

Ifyou  give  but  good  heed  you  shall  see  the  host  bleed^ 
If  any  thing  else  can  perswade  ye. 
An  image  shall  speak,  or  at  least  it  shall  squeak. 
For  the  honour  of  our  good  Lady. 

You  shall  see  without  doubt  the  Devil  cast  out. 
As  of  old  he  was  by  Erra  Pater, 
He  shall  skip  and  shall  tear  like  a  dancing  bear 
When  he  feels  the  pure  holy  water  (4). 

(2)  Scot's  Discovery  of  witchcraft.  London.  1651.  Book  xv.  Chap.  sxr. 
Seven  reasons  why  sotne  are  not  rid  of  the  devil-  -and  whv  the  devil  is  not  to 
soon  cast  out  of  the  bewitched  as  of  the  possessed- 

(3)  See  Chap,  xxxiii.  On  aspersion. 

(4)  CathoUck  BaUad. 


358  MISCELLA-NEOUS    ARTICLES,  &C. 

As  an  additional  proof,  that  it  was  exorcism,  and  not 
baptism,  which  these  frolicksonie  strollers  ridiculed,  it 
is  to  be  observed,  that  the  kirk  did  not  then  baptize  by- 
sprinkling,  for  the  directory  says  -:  "  as  the  minister 
speaketh  the  baptismal  words,  hee  taketh  water  in  his 
hande,  and  layeth  it  upon  the  childes  forehead  (5)." 
This  laying  water  upon  the  forehead  is  called  in  another 
part  of  the  same  book  '■'■  poivring  it  upon  the  head  (6)." 
It  is  the  same  in  other  editions.  The  introduction  to 
the  order  of  baptism  says  :  "  The  sacraments  are  not 
ordeyned  of  God  to  be  used  in  private  corners,  as 
charms  or  sorceries,  but  left  to  the  congregation."  This 
is  a  censure  of  exorcism  as  well  as  of  private  bap- 
tism, and  the  devil  and  the  witches  had  the  high  author- 
ity of  the  kirk  for  cyiling  exorcism  the  baptism  of  witch- 
craft, that  is,  in  the  vulgar  style  of  vagrants,  the  bap- 
tism of  the  devil.  A  writer  just  now  quoted  from  Mr, 
Arnot  supposes  the  magistrates  could  not  detect  these 
vagabonds  :  but  it  is  far  more  likely,  they  were  afraid 
of  the  number  of  them,  and  durst  not  punish  them. 
Bishop  Larimer  had  been  in  a  like  predicament.  He 
went  to  preach  at  a  town  on  Robin  Hood's  day,  and 
says  he,  "  I  was  fain  to  give  place  to  Robin  Hood."  It 
is  clear  by  the  royal  author  of  Demonology  that  the 
magistrates  were  afraid  of  them  :  the  subject  is  particu- 
larly mentioned,  and  an  inquiry  made  how  far  the  power 
of  the  devil  extended  over  magistrates. 

On  the  whole,  it  is  not  impossible,  that  some  of  these 
arch  wags,  who  pla}  ed  the  devil  before  country  dames  in 
noctural  assemblies,  might  gravely  teach  such  vulgar 
dupes  to  use  exorcism,  or  the  devil's  baptism,  as  it  is 
called,  as  a  charm  ;  but  it  is  far  more  likely  that,  from 
the  conquest  till  the  last  century,  outlaws,  vagrants,  and 
except  a  few  individuals,  all  the  classes  above  mentioned, 
lived  without  any  religious  institutes,  and  turned  all  into 
ridicule. 

The  learned  and  instructive  modern  historian  of  Edin- 
burgh, who  hath  most  happily  united  information  with 

(5)  The  form  of  prayers  and  administration  of  the  sacramentes,  vsed 
in  the  Eng-.  churcli  at  Geneua,  approued  and  receiued  by  the  churche  of 
Scotland.  1584-  -The  order  of  Baptisnie. 

(6)  The  Catechisme-  -made  by  the  excellent  Doctor  and  Pastor  in  Chrrs- 
tes  church  John  Calvin-  -Sunday  the  xlix.  wherefore  the  water  is  poured 
upon  the  heade,  Sec.  -  -  -The  same  book  imprinted  at  Geneva,  by  John  Cres- 
pin.  1556, 


CEREMONIES IMPROTERLY  CALLED  BAPTISM.   359 

entertainment,  seems  to  express  himself  as  if  he  sup- 
posed Aiiabaptism  would  be  a  public  benefit  in  that  city. 
Having  observed  that  the  poor  people  of  Scotland  are 
exceedingly  addicted  to  a  nasty  way  of  living  ;  he  adds, 
*'  Indeed,  the  mob  seems  a  monster,  so  little  affected  by 
reason,  and  so  powerfully  influenced  by  religion,  that 
frequent  ablutions  ought  to  be  inculcated,  as  a  part  of 
the  Christian,  as  it  has  been  of  the  Jewish  and  Mahom- 
etan religions  ;  and  to  this  the  ceremony  oibaptism^  in  the 
christian  dispensation,  seems  particularly  to  point  (7)." 
Travellers  devoutly  wish  the  poor  of  Edinburgh  may 
profit  by  the  hint ;  and  for  the  honour  of  the  city  police, 
for  the  benefit  of  their  own  health,  and  for  the  consolation 
of  southern  visitants,  go,  beyond  the  Anabaptists,  and 
practise  hemerobaptism. 


CHAP.  xxxn. 

CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY  CALLED  BAPTISM. 

The  Baptism  of  Bells. 

THE  Roman  Catholicks  are  censured  by  many  Prot- 
estants for  baptizing  bells(l).  This  was  one  of  the  griev- 
ances complained  of  by  the  Germans  at  the  Reformation 
(2).  The  Catholicks  deny  the  charge(3).  They  grant  they 
bless  bells  with  certain  ceremonies  as  they  do  all  other 
church  utensils,  and  that  one  of  the  ceremonies  is  giving 
the  bell  a  name,  to  distinguish  it  from  others,  or  in  hon- 
our of  some  saint.  They  ought  therefore  to  be  held 
acquitted  of  the  blame  of  prostituting  baptism  in  this 
case,  and  censured,  if  censurable,  for  consecration,  and 
benediction  only.  It  should  seem,  bells  were  first 
used,  by  being  fastened  to  the  horns  of  sheep,  to  inform 
shepherds  where  to  find  their  flocks.  Then  they 
mounted  on  the  heads  of  cows  and  neat  cattle,  and 
thence  they  passed  to  the  necks  of  road  horses,  to  give 
notice  to  travellers  in  narrow  passes,  lest  there  should 
be  a  stop  or  a  mischief.     There  are  laws  both  of  the 

(7)  Arnot   Book  iv.  Chap.  v.     Of  the  Trinity  hospital,  p.  563. 

(1)  P    Piiuli    Vergerii    De  Aquce  benedict,  et  baptiz.  campan.  Lib. 

Thomx  Naogeorgi    Regn  papiitic.  Lib.  i Rod.   Hospiniani  De  templis. 

Lib.  iv.  Cap.  ix,  &c. 

(2)  Edw.  Brovvni  Fascic.  Rer.  expetend.  Gravani  Genn.  li. 

(3)  Bellarm.  Op.  Tom.  x.  p.  810. Labbei  Concil,  Tom,  ix.  an.  965, 


360      CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY   CALLED  BAPTISM. 

Franks  and  Lombards  to  prevent  the  stealing  of  these 
(4).  In  time  bells  were  found  useful  in  houses,  and  the 
Romans  had  one  in  each  bath  to  give  notice  of  the  time 
of  opening  the  bath  for  publick  use  (5).  The  first 
great  bells  for  the  use  of  christian  places  of  worship  were 
introduced  about  the  year  six  hundred,  and  are  said  to 
be  the  invention  of  Paulinus,  bishop  of  Nola  in  Cam- 
pania, whence  they  had  their  name  :  but  this  seems  a 
popular  error,  and  Pope  Sabianus  was  most  likely  the 
man.  They  were  first  fixed  in  the  baptisteries  after 
the  model  of  the  baths.  It  was  about  the  year  nine  hun- 
dred and  sixty  that  Pope  John  xiii.  first  consecrated  a 
bell  in  the  Lateran,  and  named  it  John  the  Baptist  (6). 
Being  found  useful  to  call  the  people  together  it  was  or- 
dered that  each  church  should  have  two  at  least,  and  if 
it  could  be  afforded,  three  (7).  Before  they  were  hung, 
they  were  washed,  crossed,  blessed,  and  named  by  the 
bishop.  This  is  what  some  Protestants  call  baptizing 
them  (8) :  but  others  say,  it  ought  to  be  called  a  lus- 
trating  of  them  like  the  lustrating  of  trumpets  among 
the  Romans  (9).  Whatever  occasion  some  Catholicks 
may  have  given  for  the  reproach,  that  they  attribute  to 
bells  the  power  of  driving  away  demons,  and  dispelling 
storms,  and  so  on  ;  it  is  certain  the  ancient  canons  of 
the  church  only  ascribe  this  power  very  remotely  to 
bells.  Their  meaning  seems  to  be  this.  Satan  fears 
and  flees  from  the  bells  because  he  knows  bells  sum- 
moned good  people  to  church  to  pray,  and  he  dreads 
their  prayers.  It  was  then  to  prayer,  occasioned  by  the 
ringing  of  bells,  and  not  to  the  bells,  that  such  good 
effects  were  at  first  ascribed.     Bells  were  in  churches  in 

(4)  Baluz.  Capitul.  Tom, i.  an.  630  --  Dagobert.2  Tit.  viii.xi.  Detintinab. 

(5)  Anclrex  Baccii  De  thermis  veterum  Cap.  xii.apud].  G.  Graevii  Thesaur. 
Antiquitat.  Rornan.  Tom.  xii.  p.  324. 

(6)  Vita  Joannis  Papae  xiii.  (7)  Concil.  Aquense  De  Campanis. 

(8)  Hospinianus  ut  supra,  Inscriptio  compame  Stiekbori  oppiduU  ad  lacum. 
Venetum. 

Colo  verum  Deiim  :   plebem  voce  ;  et  congrego  clerum  : 

Dives  adore :  festa  Decoro :  Defunctos  ploro  :  Pestem  Demonesque  fiigo. 

TRANSLATION. 
.     The  inscription  of  a  beTl  in  Stxkborough,  a  small  tovin  on  the  gulph  of  Venice. 

I  worship  tlie  true  God  :  I  call  upon  the  people  :  I  collect  together 
the  clergy  :  I  adore  the  saints  :  I  adorn  the  festivals  :  I'mourn  for  the  dead  : 
I  chase  away  pestilence  and  devils.  \^Ed. 

(9)  Petri  Vireti  De  Adult.  C<ena  Domini  Lib.  iii.Cap.  2.  a/>wa!  Hospinian, 


CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY   CALLED    BAPTISM.      3G1 

England  before  the  time  of  Rede  (I):  but  the  Greeks 
had  none  till  the  year  eight  hundred  and  sixty-five,  uhen 
a  Doge  of  Venice  sent  some  to  the  Emperor  Michael 
(:2).  Casalius  says,  when  he  was  in  England  the 
churches  in  London,  as  in  Holland,  Germany,  Scotlarid 
and  France,  had  each  one  bell,  and  no  njore  ;  and  he 
adds,  the  figure  of  a  cock  in  some  metal  was  set  on  tiie 
top  of  all  the  sree|)les,  as  an  emblem  of  vigilance.  He 
was  misinformed  of  the  number  of  bells  in  England,  for 
there  is  a  canon  of  the  13th  century  commandiiig  the 
bells  of  churches  to  be  always  rung  when  the  bishop  of 
a  diocese  visited  or  passed  through  or  near  the  towns. of 
his  diocese.  There  are  several  instances  about  the  time 
of  the  reformation  of  fines  for  not  ringing  on  those  occa- 
sions. Bonner  fined  Bishop  Stortford  for  this  omission, 
when  he  visited  the  town  with  an  intention  to  burn  the 
Protestant  inhabitants.  The  clergy  were  the  first  ring- 
ers, and  Belward  or  Belwarden  was  an  ancient  church 
officer,  who  had  the  care  of  the  belfrey.  The  tintinnab- 
ulum,  or  little  hand  bell,  rung  at  the  elevation  of  the 
host,  was  an  utensil  to  be  provided  by  the  paribh.  In 
brief,  baptisteries  were  the  first  publick  edifices  of  chris- 
tians. They  were  the  parents  of  churches,  and  the 
font,  the  pulpit,  and  the  great  bell,  are  old  furniture  of 
the  deceased  parent,  inherited  and  modernized  by  his 
children.  What  so  proper  as  a  bell  to  give  notice  to  all 
the  Catechumens  in  the  adjoining  vestries  to  proceed  to 
baptism,  the  men  to  come  out  into  the  hall,  and  the 
women  to  repair  to  their  own  bath  to  be  baptized  by  the 
deaconnesses  !  This  resembled  the  custom  of  the  city 
baths. 

Tropical  Baptism. 

ii.  A  second  abuse  is  what  mariners  call  tropical  bap- 
tism or  christening  :  a  ridiculous  ceremony,  sa}  s  a  for- 
eign writer  ;  but  an  ancient  and  inviolable  custom  among 
seamen  of  several  nations,  and  regularly  jjcrformed  on 
such  as  for  the  first  time  pass  the  tropick,  or  the  equinoctial 
line,  who  are  supposed  to  enter  as  it  were  a  new  world. 
Some  captains  will  not  suifer  it :  others  commute  with 
the  sailors  for  a  distribution  of  liquors.     The  ship  is  al- 

(1)  Beda:  Hist,  Lib.  ii.  Cap.    23.  (2)  Goavii  Eacholo^um  p.  560' 

46 


362      CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY  C  A  LLED  BAPTISM. 

ways  bought  off,  and  the  passengers  generally :  but 
when  it  is  performed,  it  is  in  the  following  manner.  A 
tub  filled  with  sea  water  is  set  on  the  deck  at  the  foot  of 
the  mainmast.  The  pilot,  disguised  in  his  habits,  and 
dismal  in  his  face,  takes  his  stand  at  the  fr  ont  of  the  tub, 
holding  in  his  hand  a  book  of  marine  charts  open,  at- 
tended by  five  or  six  sailors  dressed  like  himself,  and 
surrounded  by  many  more,  each  with  a  bucket  of  wa- 
ter in  his  hand.  Some  mount  the  yards  and  the 
shrouds  of  the  masts.  With  great  ceremony  the  man 
to  be  baptized  is  conducted  to  the  pilot,  or  mate,  who 
first  orders  him  to  be  seated  on  a  board  over  the  tub 
held  at  each  end  by  one  sailor  :  and  then  swears  him  on 
the  book  in  his  hand  to  perform  the  same  ceremony  as 
often  as  he  shall  have  occasion  on  all  others  in  the  same 
case.  Instantly  after  the  oath  is  administered,  the  two 
sailors  turn  up  the  board,  and  backward  he  goes  over 
head  and  ears  into  the  tub  of  water,  while  pails  and 
buckets  from  above  and  below  all  drench  him,  and  he 
escapes  as  he  can.  This  is  the  French  form  of  a  tropical 
baptism.  Other  nations  differ  in  the  ceremonies ;  but 
no  tars  of  any  country  have  yet  embraced  the  practice  of 
sprinkling.  Lexicographers  ought  not  to  put  this  un- 
der the  article  baptism :  but  under  that  of  sousing. 
Shakespeare  would  justify  them,  for  on  a  certain  occa- 
sion he  makes  Falstaff  say,  "They  soused  me  into  the 
Thames  with  as  little  remorse  as  they  drown  blind 
puppies.'* 

The  Christening  of  Fleets. 

iii.  The  ridiculous  ceremony  of  christening  ships^ 
and  blessing  fleets,  seems  to  have  flowed  from  a  principle 
of  justice  in  time  debased  by  superstition.  The  princi- 
ple of  justice  is,  that  a  fleet  of  men  of  war  ought  never 
to  sail  on  any  unjust  expeditions.  Maritime  like  land 
forces  ought  to  be  employed  to  defend  the  just  rights  of 
mankind,  not  to  destroy  them.  The  notion  is  so  popu- 
lar, that  all  princes  have  always  pretended  to  do  so.  In 
the  year  five  hundred  and  thirty-three,  Justinian,  Emperor 
of  the  East,  fitted  out  a  fleet  to  attack  the  Vandals  in 
Africa.  Belisarius  was  appointed  commander  in  chief. 
The  Emperor  ordered  the  admiral's  ship  to  be  tow- 
ed  up  to  the  front  of  the  palace  to  receive  benediction 


CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY  CALLED  BAPTISM.       363 

in  the  name  of  the  whole  fleet  before  it  sailed.  Epipha- 
nius,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  performed  the  ceremo- 
ny, one  principal  part  of  which  was  putting  on  board  a 
soldier  immediately  after  he  had  been  baptized  into  the 
Christian  faith.  A  Christian  in  the  Greek  church  was 
supposed  to  bury  all  his  sins  in  the  act  of  immersion  in 
water,  and  for  this  reason,  as  the  learned  father  Mont- 
faucon  hath  observed  in  his  notes  in  his  elegant  edition  of 
Chrysostom,  the  Greeks  called  baptism,  burial  :  and 
burial  and  baptism  were  synonymous.  Theophylact 
speaks  accurately,  when  he  says,  Jesus  and  his  followers 
were  buried  :  he  in  earth,  they  in  water  :  he  three  days, 
they  three  times  by  being  three  times  immersed  at  bap- 
tism. When  a  newly  baptized  man  came  up  out  of  the  wa- 
ter, he  was  supposed  to  rise  as  it  were  from  the  dead,  to 
enter  on  a  life  like  that  of  the  blessed  in  heaven,  all  com- 
posed of  righteousness  and  true  holiness.  What  a  sight 
at  Constantinople !  How  full  of  conviction  to  the  gazing 
multitude  !  A  soldier  at  full  age  in  the  prime  of  life, 
having  well  considered  the  matter,  comes  to  the  bap- 
tistery, pauses  before  he  enters,  coolly  confesses  that  he 
had  formerly  lived  in  error  and  vice,  but  that  having 
weighed  the  matter,  he  had  come  to  a  resolution  to 
renounce  all  sin,  and  to  embrace  that  religion,  which  the 
just  and  holy  Jesus  had  exemplified  :  that  to  express  his 
renunciation  of  sin  he  would  renounce  his  former  life 
in  a  figure  by  being  buried  in  water,  and  prove  his  sin- 
cerity by  rising  out  ofit  and  practising  in  future  piety  and 
justice.  Down  he  goes  vvith  an  holy  man  into  the  wa- 
ter, and,  in  the  sight  of  all,  comes  up  a  new  creature. 
A  few  moments  he  disappears,  to  put  oft'  his  'wet  habits, 
and  put  on  his  regimei\tals.  Then  following  the  patri- 
arch, he  goes  on  board,  and  the  first  act  of  the  holy 
man's  life  is  the  unfurling  of  a  flag,  or  the  pulling  of  a 
rope  to  express  that  the  war  is  undertaken  on  principles 
of  the  purest  justice.  The  admiral,  his  lady,  his  family, 
and  his  train  follow  :  the  fleet  sails,  and  if  the  expedition 
succeeds,  Te  Deum  brings  up  the  rear,  and  the  empire 
bless  God  for  prospering  such  an  upright  undertaking. 

All  this  passes  in  the  face  of  the  sun  :  but  should  the 
reader  choose  to  step  behind  the  curtain,  the  present 
case  would  aj)pear  somewhat  different  (3).     The  com- 

(3)  Procopii  Avu^olx,      Ifistoria  Arcana, Tom.  Vi.  Cap.  i.   Hvdilis, 


36^      CEREMONIES   IMPROPERLY   CALLED   BAPTISM. 

maiicler,  elisarius,  was  the  first  general  of  the  age. 
Hj3  lady  Antoniria  was  of  an  elegant  lorm,  but  of  man. 
neis  lascivious  to  tlie  last  degree.  'J'heodosius,  the 
young  gendeman  baptized  on  this  occasion,  was  the  son 
of  an  Arian  Anabaptist,  of  the  party  called  Eunomians, 
who  did  not  baptize  theic  children.  He  was  a  fine  fig- 
ure, in  the  llov.er  of  his  youth,  and  the  t;;eneral's  ladjr 
had  fallen  in  love  with  him.  He  was  chosen  to  be  the 
person  baptized,  and  as  it  was  the  road  to  promotion, 
baptized  he  was.  The  patriarch  peribrmed  the  cere- 
mony, and  the  general  and  his  lady  adopted  Theodosi- 
us  :  a  custom  common  among  the  Greeks  at  baptism. 
The  spiritual  mother,  however,  long  practised  in  the 
art,  debauched  the  morals  of  the  youth  during  the 
voyage.  The  general  discovered  the  intrigue.  Theo- 
dositjs  was  shorn  and  converted  into  a  monk.  He  had 
tasted  the  world,  and  coiild  not  relish  solitude,  and  he 
escaped  to  practise  intrigue,  and  fall  deeper  into  misery. 
After  a  few  adventures,  just  as  he  seemed  to  be  step- 
ping, through  the  favour  of  the  Empress  Theodora,  in- 
to promotion  in  the  army,  he  died.  How  wisely  con- 
stituted was  his  father's  church  !  How  undeniable  the 
fact,  that  virtue  is  not  hereditary  ! 

PuRIFICATfONS    BY    FiRE. 

No  purifications  by  fire  have  been  mentioned,  for 
they  are  very  inaccurately  called  baptisms  ;  and,  strictly- 
speaking,  purification  by  fire  was  only  adherent  to  lus- 
tration, which  is  called  pagan  baptism,  and  was  per- 
formed in)mediately  after  it.  A  learned  Florentine  an- 
tiquary hath  published  both  a' representation  in  a  plate, 
and  an  essay  explanatory  of  that  practised  by  the  Etrus- 
cans in  the  rites  of  Mithra  ;  and  Mr.  fVnnant  saw  what 
may  be  supposed  a  remnant  of  it  in  Scotland,  appending 
to  christian  baptism,  as  it  had  formerly  to  the  lustration 
of  the  Pagans.  A  learned  and  ingenious  investigator  of 
antiquities  saye,  "  The  act  of  leaping  through  the  flames 
was  certainly  a  religious  one,  and  was  meant  as  a  kind 
of  purification,  and  not  merely  a  sport  and  display  of 
agility.  Mr.  Pennant  mentions  another  remarkable 
custom  in  Scotland,  of  which  he  was  an  eye  witness. 
*'  They  take  the  nevv  baptized  infant,  and  wave  it  three 
or  four  times  gently  over  a  flame,  saying  thrice,  "  Let 


CEREMONIES  IMPROPERLY   CALLED   BAPTISM.      365 

the  fire  consume  thee  now  or  ?iever  .•"  this  seems  to  be 
the  direct  act  of  purification  in  passing  the  fire  of  Mo- 
loch. Like  other  heathenish  customs  appropriated  to 
festivals  of  the  christian  church,  these  are  adopted  on 
the  day  of  St.  John  [the  Baptist,  the  twenty  fourth  of 
June]  or  rather  used  on  the  same  anniversary,  and  the 
name  of  that  saint  assumed  to  give  tliem  new  sanctity. 
Mr.  Brand  quotes  several  passages  from  Gebelin's  Alle- 
gories Orientales  :  "Can  one,  says  he,  overlook  here 
the  St.  John  fires  kindled  about  midnight,  on  the  very 
moment  of  the  solstice,  by  tlie  greatest  part  both  of 
ancient  and  modern  nations  ?  A  religious  ceremony, 
which  goes  backward  thus  to  the  most  remote  antiquity, 
and  wliich  was  observed  for  the  prosperity  of  states, 
and  to  dispel  every  kind  of  evil." 

"The 'common  and  most  tender  appellation  of  an 
infant  is  Babba.  This  name  Mr.  Bryant,  in  his  Analy- 
sis of  Ancient  Mythology,  says,  is  derived  from  the 
exclamation  made  by  the  congregation  during  the  cere- 
mony of  purification,  by  passing  infants  through  the  fire 
of  Moloch.  Fire  worship  was  used  in  this  country, 
and  in  the  Druidical  rites  such  ceremony  might  be  re- 
tained :  for  they  held  many  customs  so  similar  to  those 
of  the  Hebrews,  that  it  strengthens  the  idea  greatly  that 
they  were  communicated  by  the  Phoenicians,  or  intro- 
duced from  Germany,  where  the  Amonians  most  cer- 
tainly were  well  known.  The  Saxons  also  introduced 
their  customs  :  they  were  worshippers  of  fire,  and 
might  hold  such  office  of  purification." 

Learned  men  have  written  many  dissertations  on 
what  are  called  St.  John's  fires,  which  were  lighted  up- 
on the  night  of  St.  John  Baptist's  day.  Catholicks  give 
devout  and  spiritual  reasons.  Some  Protestants  say, 
the  church  adopted  the  pagan  palilia  :  others  that  it  was 
taken  from  the  Jews  :  others  again  observe  that  lustra- 
tion and  purification  by  fire  were  united  among  the  Pa- 
gans. Antiquaries  observe  that  such  festivals  were 
universal,  and  thence  they  infer,  that  for  some  reasons 
they  were  wisely  practised  by  the  first  Fathers  of  man- 
kind, and  were  continued  superstitiously  by  their  de- 
scendants, who  retained  the  rites  and  forgot  the  reasons 
of  them.  It  would  be  possible  to  add  one  essay  more. 
It  might  be  observed  in  regard  to  the  first,  that  a  spirit- 


366      CEREMONIES   IMPROPERLY   CALLED  BAPTISM. 

iial  reason  for  a  fire-festival  could  obtain  only  among 
spiritual  men  :  but  this  was  a  general  custom.  In  ob- 
jection to  the  second,  it  mii^ht  be  urged,  that  the  Ro- 
mans celebrated  tiie  palilia  on  the  tuenty-third  of  April : 
but  St,  John's  fires  were  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  June. 
To  the  third  it  might  be  objected,  that  these  are  Chris- 
tians, not  Pagans,  that  kisiraticjn  was  not  baptism  for 
ages,  and  that  during  the  ages  ot  dipping  these  fires 
were  kindled,  as  laws  to  regulate  them  prove.  It  might 
be  observed  of  the  fourth,  that  there  is  no  necessary 
connection  between  baptism  and  fire-festivals,  and  that 
the  question  remains,  how  came  these  festivals  united 
with  John  the  Baptist,  rather  than  with  St.  George, 
whose  festival  falls  on  the  very  day  of  the  old  palilia. 
It  might  be  observed  that  there  are  cases  in  which  fire 
and  baptismal  water  are  naturally  connected.  Otho,  the 
apostle  of  Pomerania,  who  baptized  persons  naked  by 
immersion  in  a  season  excessively  cold  and  rigorous, 
ordered  fires  to  be  made,  and  warmed  the  water  for 
baptism.  The  baptism  of  persecuted  people  in  a  des- 
ert, a  baptism  in  the  night,  or  in  excessive  cold,  and 
many  reasons  beside,  might  render  fire  necessary,  and 
%vhen  fire  and  baptism  are  united,  fire  and  John  Baptist 
will  not  be  far  asunder.  It  would  be  easy  to  trace  this 
down  to  sprinkling,  and  infants,  and  so  to  raise  from 
the  dead,  as  it  were,  an  old  Pagan  rite  :  but  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  no  consequence  to  the  present  history. 

Insults  on  Infant  Baptism. 

Sense  of  decency  would  seem  to  forbid  the  insertion 
of  any  actions  of  insolence  and  contempt  :  but  justice  to 
the  characters  of  some  worthy  persons  demands  it.  It 
is  a  notorious  fact  (to  omit  the  history  of  other  coun- 
tries) that,  in  the  time  of  civil  discord  in  England, 
inlant  baptism  was  attacked  by  rational  arguments,  and 
insulted  by  ludicrous  scenes.  It  is  generally  supposed 
the  same  persons  were  the  agents  of  both  :  but  this  is  a 
mistake.  Sober  persons  argued  :  but  profligate  men  of 
no  religion  at  all,  and  avowed  enemies  to  the  Baptists, 
committed  insults. 

Of  many  such  scenes  the  following  are  a  specimen. 
Soon  after  the  passing  of  the  conventicle-act,  a  Baptist, 
uamed  Headach,  a  man  of  fortune  and  reputation,  was 


CEREMONIES   IMPROPERLY   C ALLED BAPTISM.       367 

accused  of  having;  spoken  treasonable  words  bv  a  pre- 
tended brother,  named  John  Pouher.  Headach  was 
ready  to  be  arraigned  at  the  bar  on  the  oath  of  Pouher, 
and  of  con rse  to  lose  both  his  estate  and  his  life,  when 
all  on  a  sudden  Poulter  disappeared.  It  was  soon 
found,  that  Poulter  was  the  son  of  a  butcher  in  Salisbu- 
ry ;  that  he  was  there  reputed  one  of  the  most  debauch- 
ed and  profligate  of  mankind  ;  that  he  had  turned  in- 
former, and  had  been  employed  by  Dr.  Mew,  then 
Vice-chancellor  of  Oxford,  and  Judge  Morton,  who 
used  to  call  him  John  for  the  king,  to  obtain  in  the 
county  of  Bucks  a  full  account  of  what  number  of  dis- 
sentiFig  meetings  there  were  ;  in  what  places  they  were 
held  ;  what  number  of  persons  attended  them  ;  of  what 
rank  ;  whether  of  estate  ;  where  they  resided,  and  so 
forth.  Poulter,  like  the  rest  of  his  order,  was  some- 
times a  Quaker,  and  sometimes  a  Baptist,  and,  when  he 
was  found  out  in  one  country,  he  shifted  quarters,  and 
acted  the  same  parts  in  others,  always  protected  and 
supported  by  some  great  persecutors  then  in  power. 
Having  committed  many  other  crimes,  and  been  guilty 
of  many  felonies,  which  came  to  light  at  once,  he  fled 
the  country.  Headach  was  disinissed,  and  among  oth- 
er exploits  it  was  found,  Poulter  had  in  contempt  of 
infant  baptism,  christened  a  cat,  and  in  derision  of  the 
queen,  had  named  it  Catherine-Catharina.  So  zealous 
an  enemy  was  this  pretended  Baptist  to  infant  baptism 
and  civil  tyranny  over  conscience  (4). 

"  Paul  Hobson's  soldiers  christened  a  colt,  that  was 
foaled  in  St.  Paul's  church,  by  sprinkling  it  with  water 
which  he  had  made  in  his  helmet,  in  the  name  of  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  because  it  was  a  bald  colt,  he 
named  it  Baal  rex  (5)." 

"  Captain  Beaumont  and  his  soldiers  in  16l4,  chris- 
tened a  colt  at  the  font  in  Yakesley  church,  Hunting- 
donshire, in  the  same  manner,  with  the  same  sorr  of 
water,  calling  him,  because  he  was  hairy,  Baal  Esau  (6)." 

(4)  The  history  of  the  fife  of  Thomas  .Ellwood -  .wr/«en  by  his  ovm  hand 
London.    1714.     pap  '?79,  &c. 

(.5)  News  from  Foiules.  One  sheet  4to.  1649,  in  Mr.  Cough's  topoff- 
taphy.     Vol.  i.    pag.  609. 

(6)  Edward's  Gnngrxna.    Vol.  iii,  pa^.  18. Oldvs's  Mss. la 

Mr.  Gough,  ss  bcfere. 


368    CEREMONIES   IMPROPERLY   CALLED   BAPTISM, 

History  mentions  ancient  mockeries  of  baptism,  but 
they  were  very  different  from  these.  Prynne  collected 
two  from  Nicholas  Cabasila.  "It  is  recorded  of  one 
Porphyry,  a  Paa^an  stage- player,  that  he  grew  to  such 
an  height  of  impiety,  that  he  adventured  to  baptize  him- 
self in  jest  upon  the  stage,  of  purpose  to  make  the  peo- 
ple laugh  at  Christian  baptism,  and  so  to  bring  both  it 
and  Christianity  into  contempt  :  and  for  this  purpose  he 
plunged  himself  into  a  vessel  of  water  which  he  had 
placed  on  the  stage,  calling  aloud  upon  the  Trinity,  at 
which  the  spectators  fell  into  great  laughter.  But  lo  the 
goodness  of  God  to  this  profane  miscreant  !  It  pleased 
God  to  shew  such  a  demonstration  of  his  power  and 
grace  upon  him,  that  this  sporting  baptism  of  his  be- 
came a  serious  laver  of  regeneration  to  him,  insomuch 
that  of  a  graceless  player  he  became  a  gracious  Chris- 
tian ;  and  not  long  after  a  constant  martyr."  Credat 
Judieus  Apella. 

"The  Hke  I  find  registered  of  one  Ardalion,  another 
heathen  actor,  who,  in  derision  of  the  holy  sacrament  of 
baptism,  baptized  himself  in  jest  upon  the  stage,  and  by 
that  means  became  a  Christian,  God's  mercy  turning  this 
his  wickedness  to  his  eternal  good."  Credat  Judseus 
Apella,  Non  ego. 

Commemorative    Baptism. 

A  festival  in  commemoration  of  the  baptism  of  Christ 
is  observed  by  some  oriental  churches  ;  but  it  doih  not 
appear  with  sufficient  evidence  that  any  except  the  Ethi- 
opians are  themselves  rebaptized.  The  Armenians  dip  a 
cross.  The  Greeks  bless  the  waters  by  the  same  cere- 
mony. The  disciples  of  John  administer  baptism  annu- 
ally :  but  the  Ethiopians  are  literally  rebaptized.  In- 
deed, there  is  great  reason  to  suspect  the  genuineness  of 
the  account,  but,  such  as  it  is,  the  following  is  a  sketch 
of  it.  In  the  year  fifteen  hundred  thirty-four  an  Ethio- 
pian, named  Zaga  Zabo,  who  called  hinself  a  priest,  a 
bishop,  and'Bugana  Rez,  or  Viceroy  of  die  province  of 
Bugana,  at  Lisbon,  by  desire  of  the  celebrated  Damiaii 
a  Goez,  wrote  an  account  of  the  faith  and  discipline  of 
the  Ethiopian  church,  which  was  afterwards  printed. 
The  whole  is  so  purely  papal,  that  the  most  zealous  mis- 
sionary of  Rome  could  not  have  forged  a  letter  more 


ON   ASPERSION.  369 

satisfactory  to  the  Roman  pontiff  and  the  sacred  college. 
The  author  says,  Jesus  was  baptized  in  Jordan  when  he 
was  thirty  years  of  age  :  that  the  eunuch  whom  Philip 
baptized  first  communicated  the  doctrine  of  baptism  to  the 
Ethiopians  :  that  it  had  been  the  custom  time  immemori- 
al for  the  Ethiopians  to  circumcise  all  their  children 
male  and  female  on  the  eighth  day  :  that  since  the  intro- 
duction of  christening,  males  forty  days  after  their  cir- 
cumcision were  baptized,  and  females  eighty  days  after, 
except  in  cases  of  necessity  :  that  the  water  in  which 
they  were  baptized  was  consecrated  and  blessed  by  ex- 
orcisms ;  and  that  on  the  same  day  the  children  receiv- 
ed the  venerable  body  of  Christ  under  the  form  of  a 
little  bit  of  bread  :  that  the  Ethiopians  did  not,  like  the 
church  of  Rome,  call  unbaptized  infants,  hear.hens,  buthalf- 
christians,  because  they  wereborn  of  christian  parents,  and 
had  been  elected  and  sanctified  in  their  mother's  vvombs, 
and  had  been  partakers  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the 
Lord  in  the  wombs  of  their  pious  mothers  ;  that  every 
year  on  the  epiphany  in  commemoration  of  the  baptism 
of  Christ,  all  Ethiopians  were  baptized,  in  honour  of  the 
Saviour,  and  not  because  they  thought  it  necessary  to 
salvation. 


CHAP.    XXXIII. 

ON     ASPERSION. 

IT  was  said  some  time  ago,  that  infant  sprinkling  was 
more  ancient  than  the  institution  of  baptism  itself,  and  it 
may  be  added  with  equal  truth,  that  it  is  more  ancient 
than  Judaism:  and  the  origin  of  it  is  hid  in  the  most 
remote  depths  of  antiquity. 

TertuUian  in  the  second  or  third  century,  affirmed 
that  the  ancient  Pagans  initiated  persons  into  the  mysteries 
of  Isis  and  Mithra  by  a  mock  baptism,  which  Satan 
inspired  them  to  administer,  in  order  to  render  ineffect- 
ual that  baptism,  which  he  foresaw  Jesus  would  insti- 
tute ( ; ).  In  the  eighteenth  century,  under  the  patron- 
age of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  with  an  imprima- 
tur from  the  Archbishop  of  Florence,  and  the  Inquisitor 

(1)  Tertul,  de  Bapt.  Cap.  t. 

47 


370  ON    ASPERSION. 

General,  a  learned  Catholick  antiquary  published  one 
volume  of  plates  of  Etruscan  antiquities,  and  another  of 
dissertations  to  explain  them,  and,  in  one  of  these,  enti- 
tled on  baptism,  he  proves  beyond  all  contradiction  the 
truth  of  what  Tertulliaii  hath  asserted,  except  one  ar- 
ticle, for  of  Satan  the  monuments  say  nothing  (2).  Ev-. 
cry  thing  else  the  learned  antiquary  found  ;  a  priest,  a 
godfather,  a  subject  of  baptism,  an  aspersion,  an  initia- 
tion, an  initiation  to  mysteries  too,  nearly  a  complete 
Catholick  baptism,  by  only  exchanging  the  name  of 
Mithra  for  that  of  the  true  God.  Can  the  most  zealous 
admirer  of  antiquity  wish  for  more  ! 

The  great  principle,  on  which  the  Roman  Catholick 
church  is  founded,  an  implicit  obedience  to  authority, 
exonerates  the  members  of  that  church  from  the  neces- 
sity of  examining  for  themselves  the  monuments  of  ec- 
clesiastical antiquity,  except  merely  as  matters  of  curios- 
ity :  for  the  church  doth  not  allow  any  private  opinions 
to  regulate  the  publick  rituals,  and  the  members  perfect- 
ly understand  it  so.  In  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  his  Eminence,  Cardinal  Frederick  Borromei, 
Archbishop  of  Milan,  founded  a  noble  library  in  that 
city,  and  employed  several  learned  men  of  the  college 
of  St.  Ambrose  to  investigate  separate  subjects,  and 
hence  came  that  invaluable  set  of  books,  which  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  name  of  Ambrosia72s :  books,  which 
all  connoisseurs  value  for  their  beauty  and  scarcity,  and 
which  all  learned  men  esteem  for  their  copiousness,  eru- 
dition, and  fidelity.  By  order  of  his  Eminence,  Dr. 
Rusca  wrote  on  the  present  state  of  punishment  (3) ; 
Dr.  Collius  on  the  blood  of  Christ  (4),  and  the  souls 
of  the  Pagans  ;  Dr.  Ferrari  on  preaching ;  and  Dr.  Vis- 
conti,  or  Vicecomes,  on  baptism,  and  the  mass  (5).  This 
last  writer  laments  in  the  preface  that  while  so  much  at- 
tention had  been  paid  to  the  antiquities  of  Pagan  Rome, 
so  little  had  been  written  on  the  antiquities  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.     He  struck  out  a  method  on  baptism,  and 

(2)  Ant.  Fran.  Gorii  Museum  Etruscum.  Florentice  1737.  Tom.  ii. 
Tab.  clxxii. 

(3)  Antonii  Ruscse  -  -  De  ii^erno  et  statu  dxmonum,  ante  mundi  exitiunt. 
Lib.  V.  Mediolan 

(4)  Francisci  Collii  De  sanguine  Christi.  Lib.  V.  Mediolani  \6\7---'Ejus- 
dem.  De  aniniabus  paganorum.  Fr.  Bernardini  Feri-arii  De  ritu  sacrar.  con' 
donum.  Lib.  ii.  Medtolani.  )&20. 

(5)  Joseph  De  Vicecomit.  Observat.  Eccles.  de  baptismo,  confirmationet 
ct  de  Missa.  Tom.iv.  Mediolani.  1615,^1618,  1622,  1^26.  prafat. 


ON   ASPERSION.  371 

hath  left  nothing  unexamined.  He  had  every  advantage, 
a  free  access  to  one  of  the  finest  Hbraries  in  Europe,  and 
a  rehgious  principle,  which  did  not  even  tempt  him  to  use 
collusion  ;  for  a  learned  Catholick  is  not  shocked  at  find- 
ing that  a  ceremony  is  neither  scriptural  nor  ancient, 
because  an  order  of  the  council  of  Trent  is  as  valid  to 
him  as  an  apostolical  canon.  What  this  great  man  said 
of  sprinkling  will  be  observed  in  its  proper  place :  at 
present  it  will  be  sufficient  to  remark,  that  a  revolution 
in  the  application  of  antiquities  to  religion,  greatly  in 
favour  of  the  study  of  the  holy  scriptures,  hath  taken 
place  in  the  Catholick  world.  In  Father  Mabillon's 
time,  the  writings  of  hereticks  were  directed  to  be  kept 
under  lock  and  key,  chiefly  for  the  use  of  such  as  wrote 
against  heresy  (6)  :  but  the  present  century  exhibits  a 
difterent  view.  With  an  express  design  to  illustrate 
the  uoly  scriptures,  Ugolini  published  at  Venice  a  noble 
and  elegant  Thesaurus  of  thirty-four  folio  volumes, 
consisting  of  dissertations  written  by  authors  of  all 
churches,  Catholick  and  Anticatholick  :  a  work  that  does 
honour  to  the  author,  and  must  do  good  to  the  whole 
Catholick  world  (7).  They  are  the  liberal  researches  of 
men  above  vulgar  prejudices,  and  not  a  peevish  attach- 
ment to  the  little  circle  of  one  school,  from  which  Chris- 
tians arc  to  expect  a  light  to  shine  unto  perfect  day. 

No  remark  is  more  common  among  such  Catholick 
writers,  than  that  there  is  a  striking  resemblance  between 
baptism,  as  it  is  administered  by  the  church,  and  the 
lustration  of  infants  as  it  was  practised  by  Pagans  (8). 
Hence  they  very  often  call  baptism  lustration.  The  remark 
is  ingenuous  and  just :  and  the  resemblance  iS  too  strik- 
ing to  escape  notice.  At  first  sight,  it  appears  probable 
in  a  very  high  degree  that  Christians  took  this  ceremony 
from  the  Pagan  ritual :  but  this  is  not  precisely  the 
case ;  and  lest  any  rash  conclusions  should  be  formed,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  take  a  circuit,  and^to  observe  first,  that 
the  Pagans  did  lustrate  infants  -  -  -  then  that  Christians 

introduced  lustration  into  their  ritual afterwards  that 

a  position  was  laid  down  in  the  church,   which  rendered 

(6)  MablUon  Traite  cits  etudes  monastiques.      AJvertisscmcnt. 

(7)  Blasii  Ugolini  Thesaurus  Antiquitatum  saciar,  compleclciis  sclcclis- 
sima  clarissimorum  viroriim  opascula,  in  quibus  vetcnim  Hebrncoriiiu  mo- 
res, leges,  &c.  illustrantur.  Opus  ad  illustrationem  utriusque  testamchti-  - 
oecessarium.    Venetiis.  1744-69. 

(8)  Ludovici  Pratei  notx  in  Pfreii  Satir.  ii,  rer.  3. 


372  6N   ASPERSION. 

the  lustration  of  infants  very  desirable,  if  not  absolutely 

necessary further,    that  those   writers,   who  affirm, 

infant  sprinkling  is  not  Christian  baptism,  but  lustration 
christianized,  have  a  great  many  \a  eighty   reasons  for 

saying  so and   lastly,   that  the  theory  of  reducing 

baptism  from  dipping  to  sprinkling  is  supported  by  true 
factSo 

On  Pagan  Lustration. 

Lustration  is  generally,  and  not  improperly,  defined  a 
purification  by  wa'er  :  but  this  is  a  very  vague  defini- 
tion, for  the  wotd  is  sometimes  put  for  a  literal  cleans- 
ing of  the  hands  from  soil,  or  the  head  from  the  effluvia 
of  perspiration  :  and  at  other  times  for  a  sign  of  the  in- 
ward moral  improvement  of  the  mind.  To  investigate 
this  subject  fully  would  require  a  volume  :  but,  having 
spoken  before  of  Pagan  ablutions,  it  shall  suffice  at  pres- 
ent to  give  only  a  sketch  of  lustration  in  general,  and  a 
direct  proof  of  that  of  infants  in  particular. 

i.  Purifying  by  water  is  a  ceremony  of  the  highest 
antiquity.  Grotius  thought  it  was  practised  in  com- 
memoration of  the  flood  :  and  some  say  the  apostle  Peter 
refers  to  this,  when  he  says.  In  the  ark  eight  souk  were 
sailed  by  ivater  (9).  The  like  figure  whereimto^  euen 
baptism^  doth  tiow  save  us.  Whatever  might  be  the 
origin,  it  was  practised  by  the  Romans  and  the  Greeks, 
the  Etruscans  and  the  Egyptians,  the  Druids  and  the 
Celts  :  and  all  other  people,  of  whom  any  knowledge  is 
come  down  to  the  present  times. 

In  general,  Pagan  lustrations  may  be  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  one  common,  which  was  immediately  before 
divine  worship,  or  at  sacrifices  or  publick  festivals  :  and 
the  other  special,  at  an  initiation  into  mysteries  (l). 
Holy  water  for  these  purposes  was  kept  in  the  temples  of 
the  gods,  and  the  cistern  in  the  temple  of  Isis  at  Pompeii 
remains  yet  to  be  seen  (2).  When  Christians  got  pos- 
session of  these  edifices,  they  converted  many  of  them 
into  places  of  worship,  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that 
they  made  use  of  some  of  the  purificatories  for  baptis- 
teries (3).      The  Pagans  consecrated  water,  or  made  it 

(9)  1  Pet.  ui.20,21. 

(1)  Jo.  I.aur,  Moshemii  Hist.  Tartaror.  Eccles.  p.  194. 

(2)  Voyage  pittoresque  de  Naples  et  de  Sicile.    Paris,  1781.  pag.  120. 

(3)  Gorius.  Vol.  ii.  Tab.  xl.p.  112. 


ON    ASPERSIOW.  373 

holy,  or  to  speak  more  plainly,  set  it  apart  for  religious 
uses  by  the  ceremony  of  putting  into  it  a  burning  torch 
taken  from  the  altar.  Pure  water  would  do  :  but  salt 
water  was  preferred.  The  same  torch  was  sometimes 
used  to  besprinkle  the  people  :  at  other  times  boughs 
of  laurel  and  olive  served  the  same  purpose.  All  this 
is  confirmed  by  ancient  writers,  and  by  representations 
on  statues,  vases,  sepulchres,  and  monuments  of  various 
kinds. 

ii.  In  Greece  infants  were  lustrated  on  the  fifth  day 
after  their  birth,  and  received  their  names  on  the  seventh 
(4).  The  Romans  performed  the  ceremony  on  female 
children  on  the  eighth  day,  and  on  males  on  the  ninth 
(5).  The  lustration  was  performed  at  home,  the  name 
was  given  at  the  same  time,  accompanied  with  various 
solemnities,  and  the  infant  was  then  carried  to  the  tem- 
ples of  the  gods,  and  was  held  initiated  (6).  A  feast 
was  made,  relations  and  friends  were  invited,  the  mother 
received  the  compliments  of  the  company,  and  presents 
were  made  both  to  her  and  the  child.  A  very  small  al- 
teration of  the  words  of  Persius  would  render  the  eight 
lines,  in  which  he  describes  the  lustration  of  an  infant,  a 
picture  of  a  christening  (7).  Various  names  were  giv- 
en to  the  day  :  but  the  most  common  was  the  lus- 
trating  day  (8).  The  Peruvians  give  the  name  at  two 
years  old,  and  the  godfather,  as  he  is  called  by  Christians, 
cuts  off  the  hair  (9).  The  Mexican  midwives  baptized, 
and  little  boys  gave  the  name,  and  there  is,  say  histo- 
rians, an  evident  resemblance  between  the  Mexican 
customs  at  the  birth  of  infants  and  the  circumcision  of 
the  Jews,  and  the  baptism  of  Christians  (1). '  Dr.  Bor- 
lase  says,  the  Celts  used  lustrations  and  even  baptismal 
rites. 

(4)  Plautl  Truculent.  Act  ii.  Scene  4. 

Johan.  Lomeieri  De  Vet.  Gentil.  Lustrationibus  Syntagma  Ultt-ajecti, 
1681.  Cap.xxvii.  Lustrationes  infantum.  Apud  Graecos  quinto  die  fiebat  -  - 
Septimo  die  nomina  pueris  imponi  solita  testatur  Aristoteles.  hist,  animal, 
lib.  vi.  cap.  12. 

(5)  Pompeii  Festi  et  M.  Verii  Flacci  de  Verbor.  Significatione.  in  voc. 
Luslrici.  Lustricidies  infantiumadpellantur  puellanim  octavus,  puerorum 
Hoiius,  quia  his  histrantur,  atque  eis  nomina  imponuntur. 

(6)  Jo  Gottl.  Heinecci.  Antiquitat.  Rom.  Lib.  ii.  Tit.  7. 
(>)   Persii  Sat.  ii.  31. 

(8)  I.omeier.  ubi  mp. 

(9)  Garcillasso  de  la  Vega.  Hist,  des  Yncns,  Rois  dti  Perou.  Liv.  x. 

(1)  Picart's  Rchgious  Customs,  &c.  Vol.  iii.  p.  149. — -Borlase  Cora- 
wall,  p.  253. 


374 


ON    AriPERSION'. 


Christian  Lustration. 


The  second  observation  is,  that  Christians  introduced 
lustration  into  their  ritual.  This  was  done  long  before 
it  was  applied  to  infants.  The  primitive  Christians  con- 
sidered lustration  with  abhorrence,  deemed  it  a  sort  of 
magick,  and  preached  and  wrote  against  it :  but  a  habit 
so  ancient  and  inveterate  was  not  easily  eradicated  (^2). 
Councils  made  canons,  and  Emperors  issued  edicts  a- 
gainst  it.  Constantine  the  great  gave  it  its  death 
wound  :  but  it  did  not  expire  till  the  reign  of  Honorius. 
At  vvhat  time  it  was  introduced  into  the  Christian  ricual 
authors  are  not  agreed.  Some  say,  Pope  Alexarider  i. 
who  flourished  in  the  beginning  of  the  second  century, 
introduced  it  (3).  Others  call  it  an  apostolical  tradi- 
tion (i):  but  the  most  likely  opinion  is,  that  it  was  first 
used  in  the  6th  century  as  a  complaisant  accommodation 
to  the  prejudices  of  Pagans,  and  afterward  continued  by 
connivance,  till  in  the  end  the  legislature  was  obliged  to 
humour  the  popular  taste,  and  holy  water  was  enacted 
by  law,  and  the  use  of  it  regulated  by  canons  and  rit- 
uals. 

It  is  impossible  to  form  a  clear  notion  of  this  sub- 
ject without  distinguishing  and  dividing  waters,  for 
several  sorts  of  water  have  been  in  use  in  the  church, 
and  they,  who  best  understand  their  own  ceremonies, 
'"xpressly  require  a  distinction  to  be  made  (5).  It  will 
be  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose  to  remark  only 
three. 

i.  The  first,  which  is  the  most  ancient,  is  that  which 
flowed  somewhere  in  the  avenues  of  the  primitive 
places  of  worship  :  a  mere  convenience  for  cleanliness 
and  refreshment.  Above,  the  thirsty  Christian,  who 
had  come  many  miles  out  of  the  country  to  hear  the 
divine  word,  might  drink  :  and  below,  the  heated  and 
dusty  traveller  might  refresh  himself  by  washing. 
When  teachers  began  to  expound  St.  Paul's  advice  of 
lifting  up  pure  hands  in  prayer,  literally  of  clean  w^ashed 
hands,  a  fountain  near  the  doors  of  the  temples  became 
necessary.       There  was  one  iii  the  area  before  the  Vat- 

(2)  Lomeier  ubi  sufi.  Cap.  xsxix. 

(3)  (Rab.  Mauri  de  insiitiit  cleric  Lib.  ii.   Cap,  55.  De  Benedictiontbus 

Walafridi  Strabonis.     De  reb.  eccles.  Cap.  xxix.  De  aqua  sparsioni*. 

(4)  Longi  Concilia. 

{S)  BaronJi  Annales.  Ivii.  cix.  sxx^i.  34. 


ON    ASPERSION-.  375 

ican  church  at  Rome  (6).  Eusebius  describes  that  at 
Tyre,  which  was  placed  in  the  avenue  to  that  elegant 
temple  which  Pauhnus  erected  (7).  He  observes,  that 
washing  before  entering  the  church  at  Tyre  resembled 
baptism.-  a  very  natural  allusion;  for  to  be  baptized 
was  to  be  dipped  in  water  before  entering  a  Christian 
society  as  a  member.  In  time  it  was  thought  necessa- 
ry, where  fountains  could  not  be  procured,  to  place  a 
labrum,  or  a  vase,  sometimes  called  an  aquamanile  in 
the  church  porch  for  the  use  of  the  worshippers  as  they 
entered  the  church  (8). 

ii.  The  second  water  is  that  of  baptism.  The  first 
Christians  baptized  in  rivers,  and  it  is  not  conceivable 
that  they  pretended  to  consecrate  them  :  for  to  do  any 
thing  to  clean  pure  water  is  to  defile  it.  They  also  bap- 
tized in  the  sea  :  but  it  was  never  heard,  that  they  af- 
fected to  consecrate  the  ocean.  When  it  became  the 
fashion  to  erect  baptisteries,  the  practice  of  consecra- 
tion was  introduced,  and  a  very  solemn  ceremony  it  was. 
Early  in  the  morning  of  the  Saturday  before  Easter 
day  (9),  and  Whitsunday,  and  in  some  places  of  the 
Epiphany,  divine  service  was  performed  in  the  church, 
and  infants  and  Catechumens  were  prepared  for  baptism 
in  an  adjoining  chapel.  At  a  fixed  time  the  bishop  in 
proper  habits,  preceded  by  a  procession  of  clergy,  and 
the  children  of  the  choir  singing,  went  to  the  bap- 
tistery,  which  was  at  some  distance  from  the  church. 
It  is  particularly  remarked  by  the  Roman  historians, 
that  baptisteries  were  not  adjoined  to  churches  till  the 
year  four  hundred  and  ninety-six,  and  then  they  stood 
without  the  church  (l).  The  first  of  this  kind  was  pre- 
pared for  the  baptism  of  Clovis,  king  of  France,  who 
with  his  sister  Audofledis,  was  dipped  three  times  by 
the  hand  of  Remigius  The  Empercr  Charlemagne 
waited  in  the  church  of  St.  John  Literan  till  Pope  Adri- 
an remrned  from  the  baptistery,  where  he  had  been  ad- 

(6)  Pauli  Aringhi  Roma  Subterranea.  Tom.  i, 

(7)  Eusebii  Hist    Kccles.  Lib.  x.  Cap  4 

(8)  Du    Cangii    Glossarimn   in   verb. Jos.      Vicecomitis    De   Missa 

Apparat.  Lib.   vi.  Cap.  34-. 

(9)  Ordo  Romanus  Ord  de  sabbato   sancto Rabani  Mauri  i)e  m<fV. 

elericor.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  \xviil  Post  hxc  consecratur  fons,  et  ad  ipsnm  bap. 
tismum  catechu  menus  accedit,  et  sic  in  nomine  sanctac  trinitatis  trina  sub- 
mersione  baptizatur. 

XI)  Joan.  Bapt.  Casalii  de  veter.  Christian.  Cap.  v.  Df  Baptism'^. 


376  ON    ASI'ERSION". 

ministering  the  ordinance  (2).  At  the  water  side  the 
bishop  prayed,  and  in  the  eastern  churches  the  deacons 
read  several  portions  of  scripture  :  as,  the  grace  of  God 

that  bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared  to  all  men 

This  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world The 

angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  Philip There  was  a 

man  of  the  Pharisees  named  Nicodemus,  and  so  on : 
passages  well  chosen,  and  properly  applied  to  the  sub- 
ject (3).  Then  the  bishop  went  into  the  water,  and, 
though  the  forms  are  very  different,  yet  they  generally 
agree  in  some  articles,  as,  that  prayer  was  offered  up, 
that  the  water  was  crossed,  that  chrism  was  poured  in, 
that  a  lighted  wax  taper  was  held  down  so  that  the  melt- 
ed wax  dropped  into  the  water,  that  then  it  was  extin- 
guished in  the  water ;  and  that  at  the  close  the  multi- 
tude was  sprinkled,  and  the  people  took  some  home  with 
them  to  asperse  their  houses  and  fields  (4).  In  process 
of  time,  lest  the  people  should  take  this  aspersion  for  a 
rebaptization,  this  part  of  the  ceremony  was  left  off,  and 
when,  in  the  western  church,  the  labrum  took  the  place 
of  the  baptistery,  there  was  no  need  for  the  priest  to  en- 
ter the  water :  but  crossing,  exsufflation,  and  other  parts 
of  the  old  ritual,  remain  in  practice  there  to  this  day,  as 
do  all  the  ancient  forms  in  the  East  (5). 

iii.  Holy  water  is  very  different  from  both  these,  and 
it  seems  to  have  come  into  use  in  the  sixth  century  (6). 
It  was  made  every  Sunday  morning  by  the  priest,  im- 
mediately before  mass,  with  salt,  crossing  prayers,  and 
benedictions  (7).  It  was  not  intended  to  wash  off  soil 
from  the  flesh ;  but  it  was  to  be  applied  by  sprinkling 
to  persons  and  things  to  keep  off,  expel,  and  drive  away 
that  mischievous  fiend,  Satan.  The  chief  quantity  was 
kept  by  the  rector  or  curate  in  a  stone  or  marble  labrum, 
to  which  a  sprinkler  was  afiixed.  A  small  bason  of  it 
was  placed  in  the  entry  of  churches  and  chapels.  By- 
order  of  the  Emperor  CharlemagJie  this  water  was  car- 

(2)  Filippi  De  Rossi  Roma  Moderna.  Di.  S.  Gio  Battista  infonte. 

(3)  Titus  ii.  11.  14. 1  John  v.  4,  13. Acts  viii.  26,  40. John  iii. 

1.  36. 

(4)  Vicecomitis  ubi  sup.  Lib.  i.  cap.xvi. 

(5)  Tliomae  Naogeorgi  Hepium  papisticum  carmine  descript.  Lib.  \v, 

(6)  Rodolphi  Hospiniani  de  templis  Lib.  ii.  Cap  xxv.  De  origine  Aqutt 
idstralis.  Ecclesiastici  scriptores,  qui  ante  Gregoriiim  Magnum  floru- 
erunt,  nusquam  aquae  lustralis  mentionem  fecerunt. 

(7)  Gulielmi  Durandi  JRational.  Div.  Officior.  ceiebrandortmi—'^Ordo 
Momanus. 


ON    ASPERSION.  377 

ried  about  the  church  every  Sunday,  and  many  canons 
directed  the  ap^phcation  ol"  it  to  various  devoui  and  ex- 
piatory uses  (8).  Hereticks  used  to  call  the  spaiLdill  or 
sprinkler,  the  key  of  htll,  which  opei  cd  a  door  U)  ad- 
n.it  inuunierable  errors  and  vices  (i^') :  d>ey,  v.  ho  nuide 
use  of  it,  and  v\ho  must  know  best  the  virtues  of  it,  de- 
clared, on  the  contrar}-,  it  was  by  this  very  ke)  ,  that  Satan 
was  confined.  It  is  wonderful  to  hear  what  success  at- 
tended the  use  of  h  (l).  If  Satan  rioted  in  a  high  wind, 
holy  water  drove  him  away,  and  the  tot^erin^  buildings 
stood  erect  again.  Locusts  fled  before  it,  and  the  mo- 
ment they  scented  this,  they  quitted  the  delicious  juices 
of  herbage  and  green  corn.  It  cured  cattle  of  the  mur- 
rain, and  preserved  gardens  from  the  raj)acity  of  reptiles, 
birds  and  flies.  It  healed  all  sorts  of  diseases  in  the 
human  body,  and  restored  the  distracted  to  a  right 
mind.  It  wrought  many  miracles,  and  maintained  its 
reputation  for  ages,  and,  what  was  the  greatest  miracle  of 
all,  it  produced  a  plentiful  revenue.  The  obligations  of 
this  country  to  it  are  very  great,  for  when  learning  was 
at  its  low  est  ebb,  several  humane  bishops  gave  the  sale  of  it 
for  a  perquisite  to  poor  scholars,  who  carried  it  about  coun- 
try towns  on  festival  days,  disposed  of  it  in  streets  and  villa- 
ges and  farm  houses  to  sprinkle  men,  women,  children, 
houses,  beds,  books,  cattle,  fruit,  any  thing  in  the 
world,  and  with  the  profits  of  it  defrayed  the  expenses 
of  their  education  (2). 

Christian  Lustration  applied  to  Baptism. 

The  dispute  between  Protestants  and  Catlinlicks  con- 
cerning lustration  lies  in  a  narrow  ctmipass.  Both  sides 
acknowledge  the  fact :  both  generally  agree  it  is  not  a 
ceremony  of  divine  appointment:  and  the  chief  qiies- 
tion  is  of  the  efficacy  of  it.  This  doih  not  concein  the 
present  inquiry,   and   the  inquirer   may   pass  on  to  the 

(8)  Du     Cangii    Gloss-    in    verb     Aqua    betiedictx    beneficia Stephuni 

Bahizil  Captudurta  y<ft,^   Fiancor  Ton.    "i.  Lib    v.  Can.  372. 

(9)  Jo.  Stepl).  Duvaiiti  De  Jiitibm.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  xxi.  A.spergillum  aqiise 
benedictsE  Flagellantes  c^  Lollardi  clavem  infernalcm  appellabaiit. 

(1)  Uurant  ut  sup.  Aquae  benedictae  virtii.s  vaviis  miraculis  illustratur 
-CdiTiplures  coinmcmorant  aqua  bc-ne<licta  denioncrn  fugasse,  JSic 

(2)  Wilkin.  Cmicilia.  Conslitut.  C'lnventriens.  V2:^7  -  Sarisbviriens  -  1256  - 
Eonien.s.  1287.  Jnlian  Fecklianv  9  Qi'ia  pleriqiic  schflarescarentnecessarire 
volumus  utcholares  ferant  aquuni  benetlictam  per  villas  ruvales-- -Tom.  ii. 
p.  147.  Cap,  sxix.  Ut  beneficia  aquae  benedictsc  solie  scholaribus  assignentar. 

48 


378  ON    ASPERSION. 

third  observation,  that  a  position  was  admitted  by  the 
church  which  rendered  it  very  desirable,  not  to  say  ab- 
solutely necessary,  to  lustrate  infants. 

It  is  written  in  the  gospel :  Except  a  man  be  born 
of  water,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
This  passage  was  very  early  expounded  literally  of  wa- 
ter-baptism', and  the  church  of  Rome  admitted  the  con- 
sequence, that  no  person  could  be  saved  without  being 
ba[)tized  in  water.  All  Pagans  inevitably  perished. 
All  infants  dying  unbaptized  were  in  the  same  condi- 
tion :  and  even  Catechumens,  who  had  been  instructed, 
and  whose  lives  were  holy,  were  absolutely  lost,  if  they 
deceased  a  day  before  holy  Saturday,  except  they  were 
martyred,  and  then  a  bathing  in  their  own  blood  suppli- 
ed the  want  of  water-baptism  (3).  This  doctrine  which 
had  been  long  growing,  arrived  at  maturity  in  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Charlemagne,  and  this  maturity 
formed  the  great  evil,  which  first  pouring,  and  then 
sprinkling,  were  intended  to  relieve. 

In  die  reign  of  this  Emperor  the  law  of  baptism  in  his 
empire  was  excessively  severe.  It  was  death  for  a  man 
to  refuse  to  be  baptized  (4).  Public  baptisms  were  ad- 
ministered only  at  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  and  a  heavy 
fine  was  levied  on  the  parent,  who,  except  he  had  a 
license  from  the  priest,  omitted  to  baptize  his  child 
within  the  year  (5).  Private  baptisms  were  allowed 
only  in  cases  of  necessity  :  and  baptism  was  defined  im. 
mersion,  single  or  trine.  Alvvin,  the  Emperor's  prime 
ecclesiastick,  contended  warmly  for  trine  immersion  : 
but  some  bishops  practised  the  Roman  mode,  and  dip- 
ped only  once  (6).  The  absolute  necessity  of  dipping 
in  order  to  a  valid  baptism,  and  the  indispensable  neces- 
sity of  baptism  in  order  to  salvation,  w^ere  two  doctrines 
which  clashed,  and  the  collision  kindled  up  a  sort  of  war 
between  the  warm  bosoms  of  parents  who  had  children, 
and  the  cold  reasonings  of  monks,  who  had  few  sympathies. 
The  doctrine  was  cruel,  and  the  feelings  of  humanity 
revolted  against  it.  Power  may  give  law  ;  but  it  is  more 
than  power  can  do  to  make  unnatural  law  sit  easy  on  the 
minds  of  men. 

(3)  Mabillon.  Annales  Ordin.  Benedicti.  Feb.  10.  An.  856. 

(4)  See  Chap,  xxvi  (5)  See  Chap.  xxvi.  p.  283. 
(6)  Flacw  Alcuini  Epist.  Edit,  Quercetan.  Ixxxi.  ■  - 


ON    ASPERSION.  379 

The  clergy  felt  the  inconvenience  of  this  state  of 
things,  for  they  were  obliged  to  attend  any  woman  in 
labour  at  a  moment's  warning,  night  or  day,  in 
any  season,  at  the  most  remote  parts  of  their  parish- 
es, without  the  power  of  demanding  any  fee,  when- 
ever a  case  of  necessity  required,  and  if  they  neglected 
their  duty,  they  were  severely  punished. 

A  great  number  of  expedients  were  tried  to  remedy 
this  evil;  but  for  a  long  season  nothing  succeeded. 
There  was  a  regular  train  of  trials.  At  first  infants  were 
baptized  along  with  Catechumens  in  publick  by  trine 
immersion  at  two  times  in  the  year  ;  when  it  was  observ- 
ed, that  some  died  before  the  season  for  baptizing  came^ 
priests  were  empowered  to  baptize  at  any  time,  and  in 
any  place,  in  case  of  sickness.  When  it  was  remarked 
that  a  priest  was  not  always  at  hand,  new  canons  em- 
powered him  to  depute  others  to  perform  the  ceremo- 
ny, and  midwives  were  licensed.  It  happened  some- 
times, while  the  midwife  was  baptizing  a  child  not  like 
to  live  many  minutes,  the  mother  was  neglected  and 
died.  To  prevent  such  accidents  in  future,  it  was  de- 
creed, that  any  body,  licensed  or  unlicensed,  a  Jew,  or 
a  degraded  priest,  a  scullion  or  felon,  might  baptize. 
It  fell  out  sometimes,  that  a  vessel  large  enough,  or  a 
quantity  of  water  sufficient  to  dip  an  infant,  could  not  be 
procured  on  a  sudden  :  and  while  in  the  dead  of  the 
night,  and  perhaps  in  a  severe  frost,  the  assistants  were 
running  to  borrow  utensils,  or  to  procure  water,  the  ill- 
fated  infant  expired.  In  vain  were  laws  made  ex- 
pressly to  require  pregnant  women  to  have  every 
thing  ready  prepared,  the  laws  of  nature  defied  hu- 
man control,  the  evil  was  incurable,  and  the  anguish 
intolerable.  Some  infants  died  the  moment  they 
were  born,  others  before,  both  unbaptized,  and  all  for 
the  comfort  of  the  miserable  mother,  doomed  like 
fiends  to  descend  instantly  to  a  place  of  torment. 
In  brief,  it  became  impossible  to  maintain  the  two  propo- 
sitions, that  baptism  was  dipping,  and  that  dipping  was 
essential  to  salvation. 

Peace  be  with  the  remains  of  that  humane  Frenchman, 
who  first  freed  the  western  world  from  the  custom  of 
baptizing  new  born  infants  by  dipping,  a  custom  ren- 
dered barbarous  by  the  reason  given  to  support  it  I  It  is 


380  ON    ASPERSION. 

but  one  of  many  kind  offices,  which  the  polite  natives 
ol"  Frai  ce  have  done  tor  the  benefit  of  mankind  :  but  it 
is  oiie  of  such  a  magnitude,  that  the  ladies,  could  they 
name  the  man,  ought  to  erect  a  statue  to  his  memory. 
Mr.  Vohaire,  with  his  usual  vivacity,  says,  '*  The 
Greeks,  who  never  received  baptism  but  by  immersion, 
plunging  themselves  into  baptismal  tubs,  hated  the  Lat- 
ins, who  ii!  favour  of  the  northern  Christians,  introduced 
that  rite  by  aspersion  (7).  This  is  strictly  true  :  but 
as  this  is  onlv  a  getieral  account,  it  may  not  be  deemed 
impertinent  to  give  a  brief  detail  of  the  matter. 

In  the  yeaj-  seven  hundred  and  fifty-three  Astulphus, 
king  of  the  Lombards,  oppressed  the  city  of  Rome  (8). 
Pope  Siephen  lii.  fled  into  France  to  implore  the  assist- 
ar»ce  of  Pepin,  who  had  lately  been  elected  king.  Pepin, 
whom  many  considered  as  an  usurper,  availed  himself 
of  this  event,  and  with  the  address  of  a  great  politician, 
turned  it  to  his  own  advantage  (9).  He  received  the 
exile  bishop  with  all  possible  respect.  He  examined 
with  profound  reverence  a  letter  which  St.  Peter  had 
written  and  sent  him  from  heaven  by  the  hands  of 
Stephen  to  persuade  him  to  assist  the  church.  He 
promised  instantly  to  execute  the  celestial  commission  : 
and  he  fulfilled  his  promise  by  freeing  Italy  from  the 
Lombards,  by  replacing  Siephen,  and  by  richly  endow- 
ing the  church.  Stephen  was  not  ungrateful  to  his  ben- 
efactor, he  sanctified  his  title  to  the  crown  by  giving  the 
royal  unctjon  to  Pepin  in  the  church  of  St.  Denis,  made 
him  the  first  anointed  sovereign  in  Europe,  and  de- 
nounced an  anathema  on  the  French,  if  they  should  ever 
bestow  their  crown  on  any  other  family  than  that  of 
Pepin. 

Stephen  resided  in  France  all  w  inter,  and  had  a  severe 
fit  of  sickness,  occasioned  b}  the  fatigue  of  journeying, 
and  the  perplexity  of  his  affairs,  from  which  however 
he  soon  recovered.  Durii  g  his  residence  in  the 
monastery  of  St.    Denis,     he  introduced  the   Roman 

(7)  Voltaire's  works,  Vol.  i.  Chap.  vii.  State  of  the  Eastern  Church 
before  Charlemagne. 

(8)  Hermann!  Chronicon.  An.  753.  Stephanus  papa,  pro  auxilio  contra 
Haystulfiim  Longobardorum  regem  poscendo  ad  Pipinum  regem  in  Fran- 
ciam  venit,  et  filios  ejus  Carolum  et  Carohimanum  Pjirisiis  reges  unxit. 

(9)  Stephani  Fapce  iii.  [ii]  vita  -  -  -  Mons'r  De  la  Hode.  Hist,  des  Rev- 
olutions de  France.    An.  754. 


0N     ASPERSION.  381 

ritual  (l).  In  the  spring  of  the  next  year,  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-four,  in  answer  to  some  monks 
of  Cressy  in  Brittany,  who  privately  consulted  him, 
he  gave "  his  opinion  on  nineteen  questions,  one  of 
which  is  allowed  to  be  the  first  authentick  law  for  ad- 
ministering baptism  by  pouring,  which  in  time  was  in- 
terpreted to  signify  sprinkling  (2).  The  question  pro- 
posed was  (3)  :  whether  in  case  of  necessity  occasioned 
by  illness  of  an  infant  it  were  lawful  to  baptize  by  pour- 
ing water  out  of  the  hand,  or  a  cup,  on  the  head  of  the 
infant (4):  Stephen  answered:  if  such  a  baptism  were 
performed,  in  such  a  case  of  necessity,  in  the  name  of  the 
holy  Trinity,  it  should  be  held  valid  (5).  The  learned 
James  Basuage  makes  several  very  proper  remarks  on 
this  caiio.i  (6):  as  that  "although  it  is  accounted  the 
first  law  for  sprinkling,  yet  it  doth  not  forbid  dipping :  that 
it  allo^vs  sprinkling  only  in  case  of  imminent  danger  : 
that^  tiie  authenticity  of  it  is  denied  by  some  Catholicks  : 
tliat  many  lav\s  were  made  after  this  tinie  in  Germany, 
F.ai.ce,  and  England,  to  compel  dipping,  and  without 
any  provisiotj  f'nr  cases  of  necessity  :  therefore  that  this 
law  did  not  alter  the  mode  of  dipping  in  puUick  bap- 
tisms :  and  ihat  it  was  not  till  five  hundred  and  fifty- 
seven  years  alter,  that  the  legislature,  in  a  council  at  Rav- 
enna, in  the  year  thirteen  hundred  and  eleven,  declared 
dipping  or  sprinkling  indifferent  (7)."  The  answer  of 
Stephen  is  the  true  origin  of  private  baptism,  and  of 
sprinkling. 

(1)  Severlni  Binii  Kotx  in  Vit.  Steph. 

(2)  Jacobi   Sirmondi  Not,e  in  Responsa  Stephani  Papx. 

Lal)bci  Concilia  ToiTi.  vi.  pa^.  1650.  Responsa  Stephani  Papje  ii. 

(3)  Ibid  XII.  Si  licet  per  necessitatem  cum  concha,  aut  cum  manibuf, 
infant!  in  infiimitate  posito,  aquam  super  caput fundere,  et  sic  baptizare  ? 

(4)  Conclia.  rhere  uere  two  utensils  of  this  name.  The  smaller  held 
about  two  spoonfuls  :  the  larger  about  six. 

(5)  Labbeus  ut  sup. 

(6)  Jacobi  Basnagii  Monument.  Vol.  i.  Praefat.  Cap.  v.  S.  4.  De  ca- 
none  Stephani  Hi  Papx.  Hsec  prima  lex  habetur  adversus  immersionem  -  ■ 
nee  tamen  immersionem  prorsus  rescindebat  pontifex,  nisi  impellente  sum- 
ma  necessitate.--  -  Absurdi  visi  sunt  plerisque  illi  canones  Stephani,  ideo- 
que  insurrexit  ab  aliquot  annis  Harduinus  illos  tanquam  spurios,  quique 
Siricio,   ut  et  *Jtephano  falso  tribuantur,   oppugnaturus   :    sed  debilibu? 

prorsus  argumentis. Hos  canones  admisit  Natalis  Alexander.     Hist. 

Sxc.  viii. 

(7)  Concil  Chelyc.  816.  Concil.  Rotomagens.  1072  -  -  -  Synod  Nemau 
sens.   1284.     Infantem  ter  immergendo,  dicat.     Ego  baptize  te,  &c.  cum 

multis  aliis. Alcuini  Epist.  -  -    -  R.  Mauri  Dc  Offic  Cler.  C.  xxv. 

Strabonis   De  reb.  Eccles.   Cap.  xxvi Fulberti  Carnotensis  Ep.  i. 

Basnag,  ubi.  sup.     Perseverasse  in  ritu  trinre  mersionis  patres  ad  Saaculum 
undecimum,  imo  duodecimum,  usque,  &c. 


382  ON     ASPERSION. 

Whether  tlie  j^ood  monks  procured  this  canon  fairly 
©r  not,  it  got  about  for  the  law  of  private  baptism  in 
cases  of  extreme  necessicy,  and,  no  doubt,  it  was  a 
great  relief  to  many  matrons  :  but  the  remedy  was 
partial,  for  the  doctrine  ol  the  necessity  of  some  sort  of 
baptism  in  order  to  salvation  continued,  and  gathered 
strens^^'th  by  this  ugw  provision.  In  an  age  much  more 
enlightened  than  that  of  Stephen,  the  council  of  Trent 
denounced  an  anathema  against  the  man,  who  should 
expound  the  passage  in  John,  Except  a  man  be  born  of 
water,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  meta- 
phorically (8).  A  thousand  ingenious  devices,  there- 
fore, have  been  invented  to  admmister  baptism  by  sprink- 
ling in  extraordinary  cases.  It  would  shock  the  mod- 
esty of  people,  unused  to  such  a  ceremony,  to  relate  the 
law  of  the  case.  Suffice  it,  therefore  to  observe,  that  if 
the  hand  or  foot  only  of  a  babe  dying  with  its  mother  in 
the  birth  be  sprin-kled,  it  is  baptism,  and  the  child  is 
saved. 

A  Protestant  can  hardly  avoid  making  two  observa- 
tions on  this  affair  :  one  on  the  natural  tendency  of  the 
constitution  of  the  church  of  Rome  to  substitute  frivo- 
lous investigations  in  the  place  of  sound  and  useful  liter- 
ature ;  and  the  other  on  the  tendency  of  infant  baptism 
to  immorality. 

In  regard  to  the  first.  The  constitution,  instead  of 
cherishing  free  inquiry,  absolutely  forbids  it,  and  affirms 
the  inspiration  of  the  clergy,  and  more  than  inspiration, 
infallibility  to  the  high  priest.  The  people,  therefore, 
are  not  to  inquire,  but  to  believe  their  guides,  and  their 
guides  are  to  look  up  to  their  guide,  the  sovereign  pon- 
tiff,  or  rather  to  the  pontificate,  for  whatever  is  affirmed 
by  popes  dead  or  alive  is  held  for  law.  Hence  a  strong 
temptation  to  unprincipled  men  to  forge  pontifical  letters 
and  orders,  and  an  absolute  necessity  for  upright  men  to 
investigate  such  productions  in  order  to  distinguish  the 
genuine  from  the  spurious.  History  presents  nothing 
more  frivolous  than  the  responses  of  Stepltn  :  and  yet 

(8)  CoDcil,  Trlilcnthium.  Scss'io.  vii,  De  Baptisnio.  Can.  ii.  Si  quis 
dixerit  atniatn  verani  et  nHturalcm  non  esse  de  necessitate  baptismi,  atque 
acleo  verba  ilia  Domini  nostri  Jesu  Christi,  nisi  qnis  renalus  fiieritex  aqua 

tjt  spIriUi  sancto,  acl  melaphoram  aliquam  detorserit  :  .  Anathema  sit- 

Can,  V.     Si  quis  dixerit,   baptismum  libenim  esse,  hoc  est,  non  necessari- 

Hm    ad   saliitem    :      Anathema   sit Catechism.    Trident. Francisc. 

Suarez.  Ofcr.  Be  Sac/uTii.  Disp.  xxvii.  Lindani  Panop.  ir.   Cap.  15. 


ON    ASPERSION.  383 

how  many  men  of  real  learnins^  have  spent  their  time, 
and  wasted  their  talents  on  thest  idle  papers  ?  One  of 
them  regulates  the  hair-diessing  of  the  monks  ;  another 
directs  wine  to  be  used  instead  of  water  in  baptizing  in- 
fants in  cases  of  extreme  necessiiy,  where  no  water  can 
be  procured ;  the  rest  are  equally  futile.  There  are 
several  different  copies,  the  true  one  must  be  determine 
ed.  Father  Harduin  says  of  the  nineteew  responses,  ten 
are  forgeries,  and  that  of  infant  baptism  is  one  of  the  ten 
(9).  Father  Harduin  must  be  confuted.  Others  afTu-m 
they  were  not  given  by  Stephen,  but  by  Siricius.  There 
was  a  time  w  hen  the  guides  of  the  world  could  not  write 
their  names ;  and  when  they  signed  papers  they  did  so  by 
marking  the  first  letter  of  their  names,  or  by  a  mono- 
gram or  C}  pher  :  copyists  therefore  might  easily  mistake 
Siricius  for  Stephen,  or  Sergius,  or  Silvester,  for  Sixtus 
or  Soter,  or  Simpllcius  or  Symmachus,  or  any  other, 
whose  name  began  with  an  S(l).  No,  replies  Father 
Harduin,  here  is  no  mistake,  here  is  a  direct  forgery  of 
the  tinje  of  Gratian  the  monk,  of  the  eleventh  century 
(2)  A  Protestant,  because  he  is  a  Protestant,  is  hap- 
pily discharged  from  the  necessity  of  all  such  bootless 
studies:  he  hath  other  and  nobler  pursuits  to  employ  his 
time  and  talents :  he  says  of  all  departed  pontiffs,  peace 
be  with  their  ashes  :  and  to  all  living  Catholick  dispu- 
tants on  such  subjects, 

Non  nostrum  inter  vos  tantas  componere  lites  : 
Et  vitula  tu  dignus,  et  hie  (3). 

That  the  baptism  of  infants  tends  to  defile  the  mind 
by  introducing  indecencies  both  in  speculation  and  prac- 
tice will  appear  evident  to  Protestants  ;  but  to  Catho- 
licks  habituated  to  such  things  as  parts  of  religion,  they 
have  a  very  different  air,  and  probably  many  write  on  the 
subject,  and  reduce  it  to  practice  without  any  danger 
to  their  virtue.  A  conscientious  parish  priest  is  ordered 
to  teach  the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  and  to  baptize  in- 

(9)  Joannis  Harduini  Soc.  yes.  presbyteri  De  baptismo  c/uestio  triple.t.' 
De  baptismo  pro  Tnortuis ;  De  baptismo  in  vino ;  De  baptism,o  in  nomine 
Christi.  Parisiis.  1687.  De  vino. 

(1)  Miirutori  Antiq.  Ital.Tom.  iii.  Diss,  xxxiv  De  Diplonatibm  ct  '•harth 
c/ubiis  ant  falsis.'  -Dins,  X.KXY.    De  SigHiis. 

C2)  Utsup.  (3)  Vir^..Kt'/,  iii,  K'i 


384  ON    ASPERSION. 

fants  as  a  remedy,  and  a  remedy  so  necessary,  that  if  it 
be  not  applied  through  his  negligence  before  the  babe 
expires,  the  babe  perishes,  and  he  is  acct)untaljle  to  God 
for  the  loss  of  it.  His  condition  necessarily  obli,y,es  him  to 
inquire  when  is  the  human  frame  first  animated,  when 
doth  original  sin  first  pollute  it,  and  what  is  to  be  done 
in  cases  of  extreme  necessity  :  as  if  the  child  should 
be  like  to  die  before  its  birth  ;  what  if  no  water  can  be 
procured,  and  so  on.  Every  question  of  this  kind  hath 
been  actually  discussed,  and  most  casuists  have  deter- 
mined, that  the  least  suspicion  of  death  is  ground  of 
action,  that  pure  water  ought  to  be  used  if  it  can  be  pro- 
cured, but  if  it  cannot,  that  beer,  distilled  waters,  the 
juices  of  herbs,  and  liquids  in  which  it  may  be  doubtful 
whether  there  be  any  drops  of  pure  water,  may  be  used 
for  the  purpose  of  baptizing.  Soon  after  pope  Alex- 
ander vii.  had  determined  the  long  depending  question 
of  the  immaculate  conception  of  the  Virgni  Mary,  Fath- 
er Jerom  Floreutini  of  Lucca  published  a  fourth  edition 
of  a  middle  sized  quarto,  which  had  been  published 
by  him  some  years  before  in  a  smaller  compass,  to  ex- 
plain, confirm,  and  direct  the  baptism  of  infants  un- 
born (4),  A  book  is  seldom  seen  graced  with  so  many 
imprimaturs  and  recommendations.  There  are  no  less 
than  forty  of  divines,  bishops,  physicians,  generals  of 
orders,  and  universities  (5).  By  an  excess  of  spiritual 
gallantry  the  author  dedicated  it  to  her  majesty  Christina, 
late  queen  of  Sweden,  then  resident  at  Ron.e  (6)  ;  he 
congratulated  her  on  the  happy  omen  of  the  name  of 
Alexandra,  which  the  late  pope  had  added  to  that  of 
Christina,  when  he  had  received  her  renunciation  of 
Protestantism,  and  had  admitted  her  into  the  Caiholick 
church  ;  and  he  oftered  to  her  an  empire  over  a  larger 
world  than  Alexander  the  Great  had  governed,  a  world 
greater  than  those  other  worlds  for  which  he  wept  in 
vain,  the  untold  multitudes  of  abortives,  whom  by  pat- 
ronizing his  book  her  majesty  would  be  the  happy  instru- 
ment of  saving  perhaps  from  purgatory,  but  certainly 
from  hell.     Even  in  the  present  times  an  humane  doctor 

(4)  k  p.  Hieronymi  Florenlhu  Lucensis  De  hominibus  dubiis  baptiz- 
andis  Pia  Prothesis.    Lug-duni.  1674. 

(6)  Index  censurarum. 

(6)  Cliristinae  Alexandrae  Suecorum  reginse,  sapientissimje,  reliffiosissi- 
iTiae,  AugustsE,  et  apud  apostolicam  sedem  gloriosissims. 


ON    ASPERSION.  385 

of  divinity  and  laws  of  Palermo,  in  the  year  seven- 
teen hundred  and  fifty-one,  published  at  Milan,  in  the 
Italian  tongue,  a  book  of  three  hundred  and  t>enty 
pages  in  quarto,  dedicated  to  all  the  guardian  angels,  to 
direct  priests  and  physicians  how  to  secure  the  eternal 
salvation  of  infants  by  baptizing  them,  when  they  could 
not  be  born  (7).  The  surgical  instrument  and  the  pro- 
cess cannot  be  mentioned  here,  and  the  reader  is  come 
to  a  point  in  the  history  of  infant  sprinkling,  where  En- 
glish modesty  compels  him  to  retreat  ai  d  retire,  so  that 
it  is  impossible  to  say  any  thing  more  on  lustrating  infants 
by  way  of  baptizing  them. 

The    Opinions    of    four    learned   Catholicks 
ON  Baptismal  Aspersion. 

Contrary  to  the  declarations  of  many  Protestants,  a 
strict  regard  to  truth  compels  a  writer  to  declare,  that 
honour  is  due  to  many  eminent  men  of  the  Roman 
Catholick  Church  for  that  ingenuousness  and  fidelity, 
with  which  they  discuss  the  doctrine  of  aspersion. 
Learned  men  of  that  community  differ,  as  may  naturally 
be  supposed,  concerning  the  time,  when  infant  sprink- 
ling was  introduced  :  but  none  of  their  accurate  writers 
pretend  to  say,  the  first  Christians  did  not  baptize  by 
dipping.  On  the  contrary,  they  laugh  at  such  as  affect 
either  to  render  the  word  baptism  sprinkling,  or  to  give 
a  high  antiquity  to  the  practice.  It  would  be  easy  to 
"adduce  a  great  number  of  examples  :  but  four  shall 
suffice.  These  four  will  be  exceedingly  multiplied,  if 
that  fiery  trial,  through  which  books  are  obliged  to  pass 
before  they  can  receive  an  imprimatur,  be  noticed,  for  it 
is  understood,  that  the  book  is  the  voice  of  a  whole  or- 
der, the  doctrine  of  the  whole  church,  and  therefore  it  is 
carefully  read  in  manuscript  by  several  officers  appoint- 
ed on  purpose  both  by  the  orders  in  particular  and  the 
church  in  general,  before  it  is  put  to  press. 

The  first  is  that  learned  and  elegant  antiquary,  Paul 
Maria  Paciaudi.  This  great  man  published  by  author- 
ity  at  Rome  in  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty-five, 
dedicated  to  Pope  BenecMfct  xiv.  a  beautiful  volume  of 
Christian  antiquities.     His  holiness  being  fond  of  antiq- 

(7)  F.  E.  Cangiamils  Embriologia  Sacra.  Medial.     1751. 

49 


386  ON    ASPERSION. 

uities  admitted  him  to  his  presence,  and  took  pleasure 
in  examining  his  compilations.  In  the  fourth  chapter 
of  the  second  dissertation,  he  speaks  of  the  two  baptist- 
eries at  Ravenna,  and  finds  fault  with  the  artists  for  rep- 
resenting John  the  Baptist  pouring  water  on  the  head  of 
Jesus  (8).  "  Nothing,  exclaims  he,  can  be  more  mon- 
strous, than  these  emblems  !  Was  our  Lord  Christ 
baptized  by  aspersion  ?  This  is  so  far  from  being  true, 
that  nothing  can  be  more  opposite  to  truth,  and  it  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  ignorance  and  rashness  of  work- 
men." The  officers  of  the  apostolical  palace,  and  the 
other  examiners  of  this  work,  speak  of  it  in  terms  of  the 
highest  approbation. 

The  second  is  that  excellent  judge,  mentioned  a  little 
while  ago,  Dr.  Joseph  De  Vicecomes  of  Milan,  vvh<  se 
book  on  the  mass  was  examined  and  approved  by  the 
head  of  the  college  of  St.  Ambrose,  by  one  officer  of 
the  inqui  itioi),  another  ol  the  .Cardinal  Archbishop, 
and  a  third  of  the  senate  of  Milan.  In  the  sixth  chapter 
of  the  fourth  book  on  the  ceremonies  of  baptism,  he 
says,  "  1  will  never  cease  to  profess  and  teach  that  only 
imnversion  in  water,  except  in  cases  of  necessity,  is  law- 
ful baptism  in  the  church.  I  will  refute  that  falbe  no- 
tion, that  baptism  was  administered  in  the  primitive 
church  by  pouring  or  sprinkling  (9)."  He  proceeds 
through  the  whole  chapter  to  proof,  and  particularly  re- 
futes the  objection  taken  from  the  baptism  of  three  thou- 
sand in  one  day  by  the  apostles,  by  observing that 

it  was  a  long  summer  day that  the  words  pronounc- 
ed in  baptism  were  as  long  in  the  mode  of  sprinkling 

as  in  that  of  dipping that  dipping  might  be  performed 

as  quick  as  sprinkling that  many  ceremonies  now  in 

use  were  not  practised  then and  that  even  since  sev- 
eral ceremonies  had  been  added,  many  fathers  at  Easter 
and  Whitsuntide  had  been  known  to  baptize  great  num- 

(8)  Pag.  56.  Prsecursor  vasculo  aquam  in  caput  Christi  effundit At 

quae  nionstra  nuntiant  ejusniodi  emblemata  !  Numquid  Christus  Dominus 
adspersiane  baptizatus  ?  Tantum  abest  a  vero,  ut  nihil  inagis  vero  possit 
esse  contrarium  :  sed  errori,  et  inscientiac  pictorum  tribuendum,  qui  quunt 
historiarutn  sjepe  sint  ignari,  vel  quia  quidlibet  audendi  potestatem   sibi 

factam  credunt,  pes,  quas  effingunt,  mirifice  aliquando  depravant alter 

ex  altero  exemplum  sumat,  nee  prioris  errata  posterior  apta  correctione 
devitet. 

(9)  Qiiare  profiteri  et  docere  non  desinam,  sola  in  aquam   mersione,  si 

necessitatis  usum  excipias,  in  ecclesia  baptizari  licuisse falsam  opinio- 

nem  demani,  olim  in  ecclesia  receptam  fuisse,  ut  baptismus  aquae  infusi- 
one,  vel  aspersion©  conficcretur,  &c.w— Fcyce  ENcvcLorBDia.  Aspercion. 


ON    ASPERSION.  S8;7 

bcrs  in  a  day  by  dipping.  He  remarks,  in  another 
place,  that  some  men  were  highly  fitted  for  this  service, 
as,  for  example,  Ambrose  bishop  of  Milan,  who,  Pauli- 
nus  affirms,  (and  he  knew  him  well)  had  such  spirits 
and  strength,  that  he  baptized  as  many  persons  in  a  day 
by  immersion  as  five  ordinary  men  could  do  after  his 
decease. 

The  third  is  Fatlier  Mabillon.  He  says,  that  al- 
though there  is  mention  made  in  the  life  of  S.  Liudger 
of  baptizing  a  little  infant  by  pouring  on  holy  water,  yet 
it  was  contrary  to  an  express  canon  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury :  contrary  to  the  canon  given  by  Stephen,  which 
allowed  pouring  only  in  cases  of  necessity  :  contrary  to 
the  general  practice  in  France,  where  trine  immersion  was 
used :  contrary  to  the  practice  of  the  Spaniards,  who 
used  single  immersion :  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  AI- 
win,  who  contended  for  trine  immersion  :  and  contrary 
to  the  practice  of  many,  who  continued  to  dip  till  the  fif- 
teenth century  (1).     For  all  this  he  quotes  his  authorities. 

The  fourth  is  the  celebrated  Lewis  Anthony  Mura- 
tori,  a  man  to  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance  for 
the  extent  of  his  knowledge,  the  indefatigableness  of  his 
application,  the  refinement  of  his  understanding,  and  the 
accuracy  of  his  taste  ;  the  ornament  of  his  country,  and 
an  honour  to  humanity  itself.  This  perfect  master  of 
the  subject,  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his  Antiquities  of 
the  middle  ages  of  Italy,  in  the  fifty-seventh  dissertation, 
treats  of  the  rites  of  the  church  of  Milan,  called  the 
Ambrosian  from  Saint  Ambrose,  the  first  compiler  of 
the  ritual  of  that  church.  As  usual,  he  confirms  every 
word  by  original  authentick  papers.  Speaking  of  bap- 
tism by  trine  immersion,  which  was  the  Ambrosian 
method,  he  says  :  "Observe  the  Ambrosian  manner  of 
baptizing.  Now-a-days  tl^ie  priests  preserve  a  shadow 
of  the  ancient  Ambrosian  form  of  baptizing,  for  they  do 
not  baptize  by  pouring  as  Romans  do  :  but,  taking  the 
infant  in  their  hands,  they  dip  the  hinder  part  of  his 
head  three  times  in  the  baptismal  water  in  the  form  of  a 
cross  :  which  is  a  vestige  yet  remaining  of  the  most  an- 

(1)  Johan.  Mabilloni  Acta  Sanctor.  Ord.  Benedict.     Par.  ii.  Praef.  Cap.  viL 

S.  186.     Liudgeri  vita Concil.  Celichitense  Cap.  ii.   Stephani  Can.  xii. 

Stepliani  Tornacensis.  Epist.  v  -  -  -  -Cypriani  Epist.  ad  inagnuin.  -  -  -  -  Alla- 

tii    opera. Alcuini    Epist.    39. Jacobi    a    Vitriaco    Hist.   Oecident, 

Cap.  xxxvi. --Erasmi  I;(jl«^«y«,  ficc. 


388  ON   ASPERSION. 

cient  and  universal  practice  of  immersion  (2)."  For 
the  present  these  may  suffice,  as  human  authorities,  for 
it  would  be  difficult  to  find  among  all  the  circle  of  the 
literati,  any  one  who  would  think  of  contradicting  the 
joint  testimony  of  these  four,  who  are  of  the  first  reputa- 
tion for  knowledge  of  Christian  antiquities.  Great  as 
these  authorities  are,  they  are  not  given  here  as  decisive, 
and  they  are  mentioned  more  to  gratify  the  taste  of  some 
for  human  authorities  than  for  any  other  reason.  These, 
however,  are  extremely  respectable,  as  they  are  not  the 
opinions  of  mere  grammarians,  formed  on  vague  etymol- 
ogies, but  they  are  reports  of  a  fact  examined  in  real 
and  auihentick  monuments  on  the  spot  :  tliey  are  the 
attestations  of  men  whose  ability  and  fidelity  never  have 
been  qnestioi  ed,  and  never  can  be. 

TUe  introduction  of  sprinkling  instead  of  dipping  in 
ordinar}  cases,  into  this  island,  seems  to  have  been  ef- 
fected by  such  Lnglish,  or  more  strictly  speaking, 
Scotch  exiles,  as  were  disciples  of  Calvin  at  Geneva, 
during  the  Marian  persecntion.  In  the  fourth  year  of 
the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  the  year  fifteen  hundred  and 
fifry-six.  they  published  at  Geneva  a  book  entitled 
*'  The  Form  of  Prayers  and  Ministration  of  the  Sacra- 
ments, ^c.  used  in  the  Englishe  Congregation  at  Geneva  : 
and  approved,  by  the  famous  and  Godly  learned  MaUy 
John  Cahyn.  Imprinted  at  Geneva  by  John  Crespin.'*^ 
In  the  order  of  baptism  are  the  following  words  :  "N. 
I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Sonne, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghoste.  And  as  he  speaketh  these 
woords,  he  taketh  water  in  his  hand  and  layeth  it  upon 
the  childes  forehead,  which  done  he  giveth  thanckes,  as 
folioweth." 

Three  years  after,  John  Knox  arrived  in  Scotland, 
filled  with  calvinistical  fury,  called  godly  zeal,  and  soon 
after  the  Genevan  book  was  approved  and  received  by 
the  church  of  Scodand  (3)  :  that  is,  as  their  confession 
of  faith  expresseth  it,  by  "godly  rulers,  who,  as  Moses, 
Ezechias,  Josias,  and  others,  purged  the  church  \_that  is, 
the  kingdom']  from  all  idolaters  and  hereticks,  as  Papists, 

Anabaptists,   with  such  like  limmes  of  antechrist 

who  are  afterward  to  be  damned  to  inquenchable  fyer. 

(3)  Antiq.  Ital  Tom.  iv.  Diss.  Ixvii.  Deritibus  Ambroiiarne  ecclesia, 
(3)   The  Jorvie  of  prayers  and  administration  of  the  sacraments,  used  in 
the  £ng.  Church  at  Geneua,  approiied  qfid  receiiierf  by  the  Churche  of  Scotland. 


ON    ASPERSION.  389 

While  we  whicli  have  forsaken  all  manns  wisdom  to 
cleave  unto  Christ,  shall  heare  that  J03  full  voice,  Come 
ye  blessed  of  my  Father  (•)."  It  was  the  opinion  of 
Knox,  that  "if  kings  and  princes  refuse  to  reform  relig- 
ion,  inferior  magistrates  and  the  people,  being  directed  and 
instructed  in  the  truth  by  their  preachers,  may  lawfully  re- 
form within  their  own  bounds  themselves."  In  order, 
therefore,  to  reduce  the  faith  to  practice,  the  godly, 
inspired  with  fury  by  Knox,  raised  a  civil  war,  in  which 
they  were  assisted  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  sent  twelve 
thousand  horse,  and  seven  thousand  foot  into  Scotland. 
This  was  in  the  year  sixty,  and  after  they  had  committed 
all  sorts  of  outrages,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  At  the 
end  of  the  five  succeeding  years,  they  obtained  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  book  by  law  (5). 

The  Scotch  Calvinists,  it  should  seem,  who  first  in- 
troduced sprinkling  in  ordinary  baptism  into  the  northern 
parts  of  the  island,  were  the  importers  of  it  into  the 
southern.  In  the  reign  of  King  Edward  three  sorts  of 
people  deserve  attention.  The  established  church 
practised  in  ordinary  cases  trine  immersion,  and  pouring 
or  sprinkling  were  allowed  only  in  cases  of  danger  in 
private.  The  foreign  Protestants,  who  were  protected 
in  England,  baptized  by  immersion,  then,  and  long 
after.  Sixteen  years  after  the  establishment  of  the 
Dutch  church  in  Austin-Friars,  London,  the  congre- 
gation published  a  catechism,  either  composed,  or  re- 
commended by  John  a  Lasco,  the  pastor,  in  which  are 
the  following  questions  and  answers.  Q*  What  are  the 
sacraments  of  the  church  of  Christ  ?  A.  Baptism  and 
the  supper  of  the  Lord.  Q.  What  is  baptism  ?  A.  It 
is  a  holy  institution  of  Christ,  in  which  the  church  is 
dipped  in  water  in  the  name  of  the  Fathw,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  (o)."  The  third  class  were 
at  first  generally  called  Pelagians,  next  Free-will  men, 

(4)  The  confession  of  faith,  papj'e  40.  Edit.  Genev.  155G.  --  -  -  Confession 
•of  faith  vsed  in  the  English  congregation  at  Geneua  :  receyued  and  approued 
by  the  church  (f  Scotland      iii    72   i>7\.    Kdit.   1.^84- 

(5)  Neiil'.s  Hist,  of  the  puritans.  An.  1560.  1566. 

(6)  Den  kleynen  cotechinmus,  (ft  kinder  Iccre  der  Duytscher  Gheineynte  van 

Londen-      Ghemaecht  door  Maerten  Mikron Glirdruckt  tot  Londcn  by 

Gherard  I  DuvvEs.  An.  1566,  p.ig  19.  Wtlck  zun  de  Sacranienten 
dor  Gliemeynten  Christi  ?  Den  Doop  :  end  liet  Nachtmael  dcs  Hecren. 
Wat  is  den 'Z)oo/» .?  Het  i.s  een  heyliglie  insteHini,die  Cluisti :  door  die 
welcke  ziin  Gemeynte  nietten  wAXer'ghedoopt  wort,  in  den  name  des  vaders, 
ende  des  soons,  ende  des  heylighen  Gheests,  &c. 


390 


ON    ASPERSION. 


and  lastly  Anabaptists.  These  people  affirmed,  that 
^'•cliilder  lui'oe  no  original  sin :  and  that  they  oughte  not  to  be 
baptised.'^  They  found  no  fault  with  the  ordinary  mode 
oi  baptizing,  for  that  was  dipping,  but  their  objections 
lay  against  the  subject,  a  child.  Against  these  Pelagians 
some  of  the  first  English  reformers  wrote,  but  they  did 
not  persecute  them,  although  they  had  long  been  a 
trouble  to  them,  and  were  numerous  in  many  parts 
of  the  kingdom.  Dr.  William  Turner,  one  of  the  first 
writers  against  them,  practised  physick  at  Cambridge  in 
the  middle  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  and  was  after- 
wards ordained  and  beneficed  in  Yorkshire.  In  a  pre- 
face addressed  to  his  intimate  friend,  Bishop  Latimer, 
and  prefixed  to  a  treatise  against  the  Poyson  of  Pelagius 
lately  renewed  by  the  furious  sect  of  the  Anabaptistes,  he 
says  :  "1  deuised  a  lecture  in  Thistle  worth,  against  two 
of  the  opinions  of  Pelagius  :  namely,  against  that  chil- 
der  haue  no  otigiual  sin,  and  that  they  oughte  not  to  be 
baptised.  But  vv  ithin  a  kw  wekes  after,  one  of  Pelagi- 
us disciples,  in  the  defence  of  his  master's  doctrine, 
wrote  against  my  lecture,  with  all  the  cunnynge  and 
learning,  that  he  had.  But  iest  he  should  glorye  and 
crake   amonge    his  disciples,   that    I   could   not  answer 

him 1  haue  set  out  this  boke some  would  thinckc 

that  it  were  the  best  way,  to  use  the  same  weapones 
agaynst  thys  man}  folde  monstre,  that  the  Papistes  used 
agaynst  us  :  that  is,  material  fyre  and  faggot.  But  me 
thynk  :  seyng  it  is  no  material  thynge,  that  we  must 
fyght  withal,  but  gostly  that  is  a  woode (^ mad  or  Jurious J 
spirit :  that  it  were  most  mete,  that  we  should  fyght 
with  the  sworde  of  goddes  worde,  and  with  a  spiritual 
fyre  against  it :  or  elles  we  are  lyke  to  profit  but  a  little 
in  our  besyness(7)." 

This  was  printed  at  London  in  the  fifth  year  of  Ed- 
ward VI.  five  years  after  the  Scotch  service  book  was 
printed  at  Geiicva,  and  three  years  after  an  officious 
English  Calvinist  had  translated  a  bloody  book  written 
by  Bullinger,  the  immediate  successor  of  Zuinglius  at 
Zurich  against  the  Anabaptists,  and  addressed  by  the 
translator  "  to  the  most  Redoubted  prynce  Edwarde,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  Duke  of  Somerset,  Lord  protector  of 
all  the  kynges  maiestes  realms  subiectes,  and  dominions 

(7)  A  preservative,  or  triacle,  against  the  poyson  of  Pelagius 
Wyllyam  Turkeh,  Doctor  of  Physiek.  London.  1551. 


ON    ASPERSION.  591 

and  gouernor  of  his  roial  person  (8)."  The  good  En- 
glish rerormers,  therefore,  rei:eived  the  doctrines  of 
sprinkling  and  bloodshedding  for  the  faith  out  of  the 
barbarous  schools  of  Zurich  and  Geneva.  It  is  said 
the  schools,  because  it  was  not  the  magistrates,  but  the 
clergy  who  invented  both.  That  most  excellent  Flor- 
entine, Machiavel,  had  foreseen  this  ;  for,  said  he,  if  Cal- 
vin "  leave  the  least  fibre  of  this  plant  ^^/m^^/ /^^i^/ij- 
iionj  in  his  model  of  reformation,  it  will  over-nu)  again 
the  whole  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  and  turn  to  a  diffusive 
papacy,  in  every  diocese,  perhaps  in  every  parish  (9). 

Infant     Sprinkling     is    a    Sort  or  Christian 
Lustration. 

It  remains  only  to  be  examined,  whether  they  who  af- 
firm, infant  sprinkling  is  not  Christian  baptism,  but  lus- 
tration christianized,  have  any  reason  on  their  side. 
This  position  is  the  result  of  what  two  classes  affirm  : 
the  first  are  learned  antiquaries  in  both  Catholick  and 
Protestant  churches,  who  avow  the  likeness  of  the  two 
ceremonies  of  lustration  and  infant  sprinkling  :  and  the 
other  are  the  Greek  and  Eastern  churches,  and  the 
Protestants  called  Baptists,  who  all  affirm  that  to  baptize 
is  to  immerse,  and  that  to  wet  a  part  cannot  be  called  an 
immersion  of  the  whole,  without  an  extravagant  figure 
of  rhetorick,  which  ought  not  to  be  allowed  in  a  case  of 
literal  description  (l).  Leaving  everyone  to  form  his 
own  opinion,  and  to  call  the  ceremony  baptism,  sprink- 
ling, lustration,  or  what  he  pleases,  it  shall  suffice  at 
present  to  observe,  what  conformities  between  Pagan 
lustration  and  infant  sprinkling  have  been  remarked  by 
learned  men. 

First.  Both  are  of  human  appointment.  There  is 
not  in  the  New  Testament  the  most  distant  hint  of  such 
a  practice.  There  is  no  such  ceremony  mentioned  in 
the  ritual  of  Moses.  There  was  the  circumcision  of 
male  children  ;  but  there  is  no  order  to  sprinkle  them  ; 
and  of  females  nothing  at  all  is  said. 

(8)  An  holesome  antidotus  agaynst  the  pestylent  heresye  and  sect  of 
the  Anabaptistes  newly  translated  out  of  lati  intoEnglysh  by  John  Veron 
S  ■iionoys. 

(9)  Machiavel's   Vindication  of  himself  and  his   uritings translated 

by  Mr.  Neville. 

(1)  Mai-silius  de  far.te  lustral,  sen  de  ag.  benedictce  prjestanda.  Roma:. 
1603. 


392  ON    ASPERSION. 

In  both,  the  ceremony,  not  having  any  scripture  law 
to  regulate  it,  is  performed  at  a  time  left  to  the  discre- 
tion of  the  parents  :  at  five  days,  seven  days,  eight  days, 
thirty  da}  s,  as  it  may  happen,  only  it  must  be  in  in- 
faricy. 

In  both,  a  name  is  given,  a  festival  is  held,  and  an  in- 
itiation is  effected  :  the  young  Pagan  was  carried  to  the 
temples  of  the  gods  :  the  young  Christian  is  made  a 
member  of  the  visible  church  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  where 
that  is  not  allowed,  he  is  ingrafted  into  an  invisible  soci- 
ety, the  beiiefits  of  which  are  secured  to  him  by  a  cove- 
nant, which  no  body  ever  saw. 

In  both,  there  is  supposed  to  be  an  expiation.  What 
Pagans  meant,  it  is  difficult  to  say  :  but  Christians  speak 
clearly,  and  some  of  them  very  emphatically.  Some 
say,  infants  by  this  ceiemony  accede  to  a  covenant  of 
grace,  and  enter  on  the  enjoyment  of  the  benefits  of  it. 
Otl>ers  affirm,  grace  is  infused  into  the  infant.  Others 
believe  a  moral  pollution  received  from  Adam  is  wash- 
ed away  :  but  the  fathers  speak  most  emphatically, 
when  they  declare  in  express  words,  that  water  in  bap- 
tism suffocates  and  drowns  the  devil  (2). 

Pagans  and  Christians  all  affirm,  there  are  mysteries 
both  great  and  little  in  this  ceremony  :  and  a  truer  prop- 
osition never  fell  from  the  mouth  of  man  (3).     Modest 

(2)  S  Chi-ysostomi  op.  in  verb,  apost.  1  Cor.  x.  Ibi  aqua  et  hie  aqua  : 
lavacrum  hie,  et  ibi  pelagus.  Omnes  hie  in  aquam  ingrediuntur  :  et  ibi 
omties.     Ibi   liberati  sunt  ab  jtgypto  per  mare  :   hie  autem  ab  idolatria. 

Ibi  Pharao  submersus  est  :    hie  autem  diabolus Beda /?j  A'xo(/.    Cap. 

xiv.     Diabolus  in  spirituali  lavacro,  id  est  baptismo  sufTocatur Au. 

gustini  Ser.  xix.  Vero  ita  fit,  fratres,  quando  in  salutari  lavacro  tertio 
Christiani  merguntur.  Tunc  jitgypti,  id  est,  originalia  peceata  vel  actua- 
lia  crimina  quasi  in  rubro  mari  sepeliuntur  -  -  -  -quomodo  nullus  reniansit 
^gyptioium,  sic  nihil  remanet  peecatornm. 

TRANSLATION. 
Works  of  St.  Chrysostom.  His  observations  on  the  words  of  the  Apos- 
tle, in  1  Cor.  x  And  luere  all  baptized  unto  Moses,  in  the  cloud,  and  in  the 
sea.  There  was  water,  and  here  is  water  :  here  is  the  bath,  there  was 
the  sea.  Here  all  go  into  the  water  ;  there  all  went  in  There  the 
Israelites  were  freed  from  Egypt  by  the  sea  ;  here,  the  Gentiles  from  idol- 
atry by  bai)tism.  There  Pharaoh  was  immersed,  and  here  the  devil. 
Bede  on  Exod.  Chap.  xiv.  The  devil  in  this  spiritual  bath,  that  is, 
baptism,  is  suffocated  and  drowned.  Augustine^s  19th  discourse.  So  in- 
deed, bretliren.  it  comes  to  pass,  wlien  christians  are  three  times  im- 
mersed in  the  salutary  bath  ;  then  the  Egyptians,  that  is,  original  sins,  and 
actual  transgressions,  are  buried,  as  it  were,  in  the  red  sea-  — and  as  all 
the  Egyptians  were  destroyed,  so  all  our  sins  are  washed  away.  [j&(/. 

(3)  Lomeieri  ut  sup.     Cap.  xxxv.     Adspersio.     Ad  -Lustrationis  essen- 

tiam  pcptinuit  aspcrsio Magna  mysteria  Cereri  sacra parva  mys- 

teria  in  honorem  Proserpinae,  &c. Vide  Gorii  Museum  Etrusc.  ut  sup. 

Be  Mithra Iside,  &.C.  &c.     Mysterium  baptismi  passim  apud  scrip- 

tores  ecclesiasticos.  --  •  -  Borlase.  page'4251. 


GN    ASPERSIOK, 


593 


men   respect  secrets  and  retire   without  presuming  to 
draw  the  sacred  curtain  aside. 

A  BRIEF- Detail  of  the  Reduction  of  Baptism 
PROM  Dipping  to  Sprinkling. 

To  baptize  by  dipping  is  to  put  the  whole  person  in- 
to water  :  to  baptize  by  sprinkling  is  to  scatter  water  in 
drops  on  the  face  :  and  it  is  curious  to  observe  by  what 
means  the  change  was  effected  in  the  Catholick  church. 
The  subject  is  divisible  into  three  parts  :  dipping, 
pouring,  and  sprinkling  ;  three  very  distinct  modes  ; 
for  to  baptize  by  pouring  is  to  let  water  fall  out  of  some 
vessel,  in  a  continued  stream,  upon  the  head,  or  the 
face  of  the  person  baptized.  If  zeal  for  the  baptism  of 
infants  had  not  disused  all  pretensions  to  accuracy,  it 
could  not  be  imagined  that  modes  so  different  as  pour- 
ing and  sprinkling  were  the  same.  If  the  mode  of  ap- 
plying the  water  of  baptism  be  indifferent,  there  is  an 
end  of  the  business  :  but  if  it  be  important,  the  necessi- 
ty  of  one  condemns  the  other  two.  , 

i.  Immersion,  single  or  trine,  was  the  ordinary  mode 
of  baptizing  in  the  Catholick  church  from  the  beginning 
till  the  reformation,  and  the  Lutheran  reformers  contin- 
ued it.  In  regard  to  the  Catholicks,  the  evidence  is  be- 
yond all  contradiction.  Canons,  manuals,  legends,  his- 
tories and  homilies,  describe  it  in  words  :  and  monu- 
ments, baptisteries,  and  pictures  in  missals,  describe  it  in 
■  sculpture  and  painting.  The  latest  Catholick  writer  on 
liturgies,  was  the  learned  Abbot  of  Saint  Blase,  Father 
Martin  Gerbert,  who  in  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and 
seventy-six  published  two  elegant  quarto  volumes  dedi- 
cated to  Pope  Pius  vi.  (l).  In  this  beautiful  work  there 
are  several  picturesque  descriptions  of  baptism,  which 
very  properly  illustrate  the  mode  of  immersion.  On  an 
antique  silver  cup  the  baptism  of  Jesus  is  represented  : 
Jesus  naked,  except  a  covering  round  his  middle,  stand- 
ing in  the  river  Jordan  ;  on  his  right  hand  a  person 
clothed  in  waiting  ;  and  John,  half-clad,  on  his  left,  put- 
ting his  right  hand  on  the  head  of  Jesus  (5).  In  one 
ancient  liturgical  illumination,   Jesus  is  represented  as 

(4)  Vetus  Liturgia  Alcmannica  Disquisitionibus  prjsviis,  notis^  et  observation^ 
Hits  itlusirata.     Typis  San-Blasiunis. 

(5)  Tom.  i.  Tab.  iii.  pag.  219.     Iconismus  calicis  Weinnartemis. 

50 


394  GN    ASPERSION. 

standing  stark  naked  in  the  water,  which  rises  above  his 
hips,  nearly  as  Naaman  is  represented  in  the  same  missal, 
bathing  himself  stark  naked  in  the  river  by  the  direction 
of  the  prophet  Elisha  (6).  In  another,  Jesus  is  describ- 
ed as  standing  in  the  river  naked  to  the  waist,  and  hav- 
ing a  light  loose  covering  downward,  while  two  angels 
on  the  bank  hold  a  cloth  ready  to  throw  over  him  at  his 
coming  out  of  the  m  ater  (7).  In  another,  a  large  font  is 
described,  one  priest  withoutside  is  dipping  an  infant 
stark  naked,  while  another  waits  to  appl>  the  chrism. 
Behind  the  baptizer  stand  several  men  and  women,  some 
presenting  naked  children  to  be  baptized,  and  others 
holding  habits  to  put  on  them  immediately  alter  the 
ceremony.  Proofs  of  this  kind  are  so  many  that 
they  would  fill  volumes,  and  so  decisive  that  the  fact 
cannot  be  denied. 

In  this  country  ordinary  baptism  was  always  under- 
stood to  mean  Immersion,  till  after  the  reformation,  and 
though  the  private  pouring  on  infants  in  danger  of 
death  was  called  baptism,  yet  it  was  accounted  so  only 
by  courtesy.  Pope  Stephen  had  said,  if  it  were 
a  case  of  necessity,  and  if  it  were  performed  in 
the  name  of  the  Trinity,  pouring  should  be  held 
valid.  The  same  canons  provide  for  four  other  clas- 
ses of  children.  There  was  a  priest,  who  had  said 
mass,  and  baptized  children,  and  who  some  time  after 
had  pretended  he  did  not  know  who  ordained  him,  and 
laid  down  his  office  and  married  :  there  was  another, 
who  in  cases  of  extreme  danger,  had  baptized  with 
wine,  not  being  able  to  procure  any  water  :  there  was  a 
third,  who  had  baptized,  although  he  could  neither  say 
the  creed,  nor  the  Lord's  prayer,  nor  repeat  the  psalms, 
and  who  did  not  know  whether  the  bishop  had  pronounc- 
ed the  benediction  over  him  :  and  there  was  a  fourth,  a 
rustick  priest,  who  had  baptized  without  knowing  the 
baptismal  words,  and  had  said  at  the  administration,  *'In 
the  name  of  the  Father  I  dip  you,  and  of  the  Son  I 
dip  you,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  I  dip  you  (8)."  Were 
these  baptisms  valid  ?  Stephen  replied,  if  they  were  per- 

(6)  Tom.  i  Tab.  vi.  p.  247.  et  266. 

(7)  Ibid.  Tab.  vii.  p.  266.  n.  i. N.  3.  p.  259.     Ex  eodem  rotuh  bib^ 

liotheae   Casanatensis.    Tom.  ii.  Disq.  v.  de  seicramt  baptiami.  S.  xs.u. per 
imtnersionem  vel  (iffusionem.  .     . 

(8)  Stephani  Papce  Vi.  respons.  —  De  illo  presbytero,  qui  baptizavit  isto 
mode  sic  rustice  :  In  nomine  Patris  mergo,  et  Filu  mergo,  et  Spintos 
Sanctus  mergo,  &c.  '^ 


I 


ON    ASPERSION.  395 

formed  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  children 
should  be  held  baptized,  although  some  of  the  admin- 
istrators were  ordered  to  be  punished,  and  the  adminis- 
tration was  declared  informal.  In  the  early  days  of 
monachism,  such  monks  as  these  foraged  for  subsistence, 
and  a  small  baptismal  fee  was  an  object :  but  after 
monks  and  friars  had  thoroughly  investigated  their 
science,  and  had  obtained  palaces  and  rich  endowments, 
they  were  more  eager  to  possess  themselves  of  corpses 
to  bury  in  their  freeholds,  than  of  children  to  be  taught 
and  baptized.  In  the  first  case  they  had  legacies,  and 
monuments  and  shrines  to  adorn  their  buildings,  and 
foundations  for  chantry  priests  and  masses,  beside  the 
chance  of  canonization,  and  all  its  beneficial  concomi- 
tants. 

The  same  kind  of  evidence  of  the  same  fact  is  equal- 
ly clear  in  the  case  of  the  reformation  by  Luther.  In 
his  translation  of  the  New  Testament,  he  hath  rendered 
the  Greek  word  to  baptize  by  the  German  Taiifen^ 
and  in  his  works  he  hath  expressly  declared,  that  the 
baptismal  verb  taufen  signifies  to  immerse,  or  plunge 
into  water  (9).  Thus  Matthew  iii.  J .  In  those  days 
came  John  the  Baptist :  Zuder  zeit  kam  Johannes  der 
Tauffer  ;  in  those  days  came  John  the  dipper »  So  again, 
verse  16.  And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized,  getauffty 
immersed,  went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water  (l). 
How  the  English  reformers  understood  the  matter  is 
clear  by  the  first  liturgy  of  King  Edward  vi.  which  re- 
quired baptism  to  be  administered  by  trine  immersion : 
and  by  a  catechism  set  forth  in  the  same  year  by  Arch- 
bishop Cranmer,  in  which  there  is  a  cut,  prefixed  to  the 
sermon  of  baptisme^  that  fully  expresses  the  meaning  of 
the  writer.  Jesus  is  represented  naked,  except  a  kind 
of  towel  tied  round  his  middle,  standing  in  the  river  up 
to  mid-leg  in  water.  Behind  him,  at  a  distance,  higher 
up  the  stream,  are  seen  two  persons  stark  naked  as  if 
coming  to  be  baptized.  John  is  on  the  bank  by  the 
side  of  Jesus  :  his  right  hand  with  two  fingers  stretched 
out  is  lifted  up  towards  heaven  :  his  left  is  behind  the 

(9)  Op.  De  baptismo. 

(1)  Das  Neve  Testament  -  -  London.  1751.  Ludwig  Dictionar.  in  verb. 
Tauchen.  oder  tuncken , .  Tauf  . .  Taufen  , ,  Taufer  .  ,  Tauf-bund,  &c.  Leip- 
zig;. 1716. 


396  ON     ASPERSION. 

shoulders  of  Jesns  as  if  just  going  to  bow  him  forward 
into  the  watei  (2). 

To  this  the  style  of.the  sermon  agrees.  "What 
greater  shaaie  can  ther  be,  then  a  man  to  professe  him- 
self to  be  a  christen  man,  because  he  is  baptised,  and 
yet  lie  knoweth  not  what  baptisme  is,  nor  what  strength 
the  same  hath,  nor  what  the  dyppyng  in  the  water  doth 
betoken  —  when  God  is  added  and  joyned  to  the  water, 
then  it  is  the  bathe  of  regeneration  -  -  -  a  bathe  that 
vvasheth  our  soules  b}^  the  holy  ghoste,  as  saynct  Paule 
calleth  it,  saying,  God  hath  saved  us  thorowe  hys  mer- 
cy e  by   the  bathe  of  regeneracion for  baptisme  and 

the  dyppyrjge  into  the  water  doth  betoken,  that  the  olde 
Adam,  with  al  his  synne  and  evel  lustes  ought  to  be 
drouned  and  kylled  by  daily  contrition  and  repent- 
ance (o)." 

In  like  manner  William  Tyndale,  otherwise  called 
Hychins,  speaks  of  baptism.  "The  plungynge  into 
the  water  sygnifieth  that  we  dye  and  are  buryed  with 
Chryst  as  concernynge  the  olde  lyfe  of  Synne  which  is 
Adam.  And  the  piillynge  out  agayn  sygnyfyeth  that 
we  ryse  agayne  with  Chryste  in  a  newe  lyfe  (4)." 

To  the  same  purpose  speaks  K.  Edward's  Catechism. 
*'  Master.  Tell  me  (my  sonne)  how  these  two  sacra- 
ments be  ministred  :  baptisme  :  and  that  whyche 
Paule  calleth  the  supper  of  the  Lord.  Scholer.  Hym 
that  beleueth  in  Christ  :  professeth  the  articles  of  Chris- 
tian religion  :  and  myndeth  to  be  baptised  (I  speak  nowe 
of  the  that  be  growe  to  ripe  yeres  of  discretion  :  sith  for 
the  yog  babes,  theyr  parentes  or  the  churches  professio 
sufficeth)  the  minister  dyppeth  in,  or  washeth  with  pure 
&  cleane  water  onlye,  in  the  name  of  the  father,  and  of 
the  Sonne,  and  of  the  holy  ghost :  &  the  commendeth 
him  by  praier  to  God,  in  to  whose  churche  he  is  now 
openly  as  it  wear  enrowled,  that  it  mai  please  God  to 
graunte  hym  hys  grace,  whearby  he  may  answer  in 
belefe  and  life  agreablye  to  his  profession  (5).'*  All 
such  descriptions  are  unequivocal  evidence. 

It  was  an  observation  of  Pope  Pius  v.  that  the  reform- 
ers did  not  separate  from  the  Catholick  church  on  ac- 

(2)  Cathechismiis,  &c.  Gualtenis  Lynne  excudebat.  1548. 

(3)  The  same.  Fol.  ccxv  -  -  ccxxii. 

(4)  The  obedyeiice  of  a  Chrysten  man,  &c.  --  Fo.  Ixxvi.  Baptyra. 

(5)  The  Catechisme.    ImpryiUed^t  Loadon  by  John  Day. 


ON    ASPERSION.  397 

count  of  baptism,  and  it  was  for  this  reason  that  the 
council  of  Trent  pronounced  the  baptism  of  these  her- 
eticks  valid,  though  imperfect  throus^h  the  omission  of 
some  ceremonies  (6).  To  say  nothing  of  the  doctrine 
of  original  sin,  which  as  the  true  foundation  of  infant 
baptism  the  reformers  believed,  or  of  the  baptism  of 
infants,  which  they  practised,  it  is  certain  Catholicks 
and  Lutherans  allowed  the  validity  of  baptism  by  im- 
mersion. The  celebrated  James  Sadolet,  who  was, 
first,  secretary  to  Leo  x.  and,  afterward,  created  a  car- 
dinal by  Paul  iii.  in  the  year  fifteen  hundred  thirty-six, 
says  :  "  Our  trine  immersion  in  water  at  baptism,  and 
our  trine  emersion,  denote,  that  we  are  buried  with 
Christ  in  the  faith  of  the  true  Trinity,  and  that  we  rise 
again  with  Christ  in  the  same  belief  (7)."  The  con- 
fession of  faith  of  the  churches  of  Saxony  was  subscrib- 
ed at  Witemberg,  on  the  tenth  of  July,  in  the  year  fif- 
teen hundred  fifty-one,  by  superintendants,  pastors,  and 
professors,  in  all  thirty  one,  in  order  to  be  presented  to 
the  council  of  Trent  (8).  Melancthon  published  this 
with  a  preface,  and  soon  after  several  more  acceded 
(9).  The  article  of  baptism  is  express  for  dipping  ; 
and  the  sense  of  the  administrator  is  given  in  these 
words  :  "  I  baptize  thee,  that  is,  I  testify  by  this  im- 
mersion, that  thou  art  washed  from  sin,  and  now  receiv- 
ed [into  covenant]  by  the  true  God,  who  is  the  Father 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  redeemed  thee  by  Jesus 
Christ  his  Son,  and  sanctifieth  thee  by  the  Holy  Ghost :" 
and  so  on  (1).  Hence  came  the  name  of  their  baptist- 
eries, Tauf  stein,  or  dipping-stone  (2)  In  brief,  it  may 
with  great  truth  be  aiiirnied,  that  during  the  whole  es- 
tablishment  of  the  Catholick  religion  in  England,  that  is, 

(6)  Concil.  Trident.  Sessio.  vii.  De  baptismo.  Declarat.  in  Can.  iv 
Luc^dun.  1630. 

{7)  Anton.  Florebelli  de  vita  Jacob  Sadoleti  S.  R.  E.  presbyteri  cardinalis 
comment.  Jacob!  Sadoleti  in  Pauli  Epist.  ad  Romanos  commentar.  Cap.  vi. 
yer.  4  8.  Francofurti.  1771.  In  bajuismo  qnidcm  trina  ilia  nostri  in  aqua 
imviersio,  rursiisque  fer  facta  ex  aqua  ernersio,  et  cum  Cliristo  nos  sepeliri 
in  fide  verae  Trinitatis,  etcum  Christoitem  resurg'ere  in  eadem  fide  denotat. 

(8)  Confessio  doctrinx  Saxonicarum  ecclesiaium,  scripta  anno  Domini. 
1551.  ul  Synodo  Tridentinse  exhiberetur.  ad  finem. 

(g)   Aliunim  ecclesiarum  et  reg-ionum  approbatoria  scripta. 

(1)  De  baptismo.  Baptismus  est  integra  actio,  videlicet  mer«/o  et  ver- 
borum  pmnunciatio  :  Ego  baptizo  te  in  nomine  Patris,  et  Filii,  et  Spiritu.s 
Sancli  In  his  verbis  summum  doctrinae  evanj,^^!!!  compreliensam:  snepe 
enairarinis.  Ego  -baptizo  te,  id  est,  ego  testificor  liac  mersiene,  te  ablui 
a  peccatis,  &c 

(2)  Ludwig  Lexicon.  Der  Tauf-stein  in  Romisch-catholischen,  und 
Lutherischen  kirclien. 


398  ON    ASPERSION. 

from  the  close  of  the  sixth  to  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  a  period  of  nearly  a  thousand  years,  baptism 
was  administered  by  immersion  except  in  cases  of 
necessity  :  the  first  converts  were  catechized  in  person, 
and  baptized  in  rivers  ;  the  last  were  infants,  catechized 
by  proxy,  and  dipped  in  fonts  (3). 

ii.  The  administration  of  baptism  by  pouring  is  a 
very  intricate  affair,  and  three  distinct  observations  are 
necessary  to  elucidate  the  subject. 

1.  Some  representations  of  baptism  are  evidently  em- 
blematical, either  of  the  sign,  or  of  the  thing  signified. 
In  one  ancient  monument  at  Rome  Jesus  is  represented 
in  his  baptism  as  standing  in  the  river  Jordan  enwrap- 
ped in  a  winding-sheet,  exactly  as  in  other  monuments 
the  dead  lying  along  are  depicted.  In  this  therefore, 
the  artist  meant  to  represent  the  thing  signified  by  bap- 
tism, the  burial  of  Christ,  and  probably  he  took  his  em- 
blem from  the  words  of  Paul,  baptized  into  his  death: 
buried  %vith  him  in  baptism :  and  so  on  (4).  Some  em- 
blems described  a  supposed  fact :  as  when  a  dove  is 
painted  over  the  head  of  a  bishop,  it  signifies  that  in  the 
opinion  of  the  artist,  the  prelate  was  elected  by  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Some  are  awkward  repre- 
sentations of  a  true  fact :  as  those  which  describe  per- 
sons standing  and  holding  their  heads  cut  off  in  their 
hands.  The  meaning  is :  they  had  been  martyred. 
The  baptism  of  immersion  was  sometimes  represented 
by  one  person  clothed  pouring  water  out  of  a  pitcher  on 
the  head  of  another  person  kneeling  naked  in  a  font : 
the  artist  intending  to  signify  not  that  baptism  was  ever 
literally  so  performed,  but  that  baptism  was  administer- 
ed by  wetting  all  over  (5).  Such  emblems  are  allusive 
pictures  or  occult  representations,  and  at  present  one  ex- 
ample may  suffice. 

The  learned  John  Ciampini,  master  of  the  briefs  in 
the  Roman  chancery,  under  Innocent  XII.  was  an  anti- 
quary of  accurate  and  extensive  knowledge  of  ecclesias- 
tical antiquities.     Under  the  patronage  of  the  Pope,  and 

(3)  Bedae  Hist  Eccles.  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xiv. 

Joannis  Lelandi  antiqiiarii  De  rebus  Britan.  Collectanea,  cum  Thomae 
Hearnii  Prsefat.  not.  &,c.  Londini.  1770.  Vol.  ii  p.  663.  Baptizatio  Reginac 
Elizabethae  apud  Grenwich. 

(4)  Jo  Ciampini.  De  Sacris  /Edifictis  a  constant.  Magno  construct.  Sy- 
nopsis Historica,  Rom.  lf^93.  Vet  moniment-Gerbert.  ut  sup.  Tab  vi.vii,&c. 

(5)  Murator  Rer.  Ital.  Script.  Tom.  ii.  Pr<efat.  in  spicileg.  RavennatU 
Hixt See  Chap.  xvii.  Mabillon.  Iteh  Ital. 


ON    ASPERSION.  J^J 

his  eminence,  cardinal  Charles  Barberini,  he  published 
several  works  to  elucidate  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
sacred  habits  and  utetisils,  edifices  and  Mosaick  orna- 
ments (6).  After  the  example  of  Procopius,  who  had 
compiled  an  history  of  the  buildings  erected  by  the  Emper- 
or Justinian,  he  published  an  history  of  the  sacred  edi- 
fices built  by  Constantine  the  Great,  illustrated  by 
plates  (7).  In  this,  as  well  as  in  his  ancient  monuments, 
he  observes,  that  the  first  Catholicks  took  the  patterns  of 
innumerable  emblems  from  the  book  of  Revelation,  and 
adorned  their  publick  edifices  with  them.  The  Jews 
were  accustomed  daily  to  sacrifice  two  lambs  in  their 
temple.  The  paschal  sacrifice  was  a  lamb,  the  blood 
sprinkled,  and  the  flesh  eaten.  John  the  baptist  had 
called  Jesus  a  lamb.  Jesus  was  put  to  death  by  cruci- 
fixion, and  received  in  his  execution  five  principal 
wounds.  Jesus  had  said  to  Peter,  Feed  my  sheep,  my 
lambs.  Paul  had  called  Christ  the  Christian's  passover  : 
and  John  had  described  Jesus  as  a  lamb  standing  in  the 
midst  of  a  throne.  The  designer  of  an  ancient  piece  of 
Mosaick  work  in  a  chapel  of  the  old  Vatican  church 
had  crowded  together  into  one  emblematical  ornament 
all  these  ideas,  and  others  appending.  It  would  take 
too  much  room  to  describe  all  the  emblems  of  this  curi- 
ous antique,  and  one  shall  serve  (8). 

In  the  middle  of  the  lower  compartment  appears  a 
throne,  set  with  precious  stones.  In  the  midst  of  that 
stands  a  cross  studded  also  with  jewels,  the  foot  resting 
on  a  cushion.  Under  the  cross  stands  a  lamb  on  a 
mount,  with  a  diadem  on  his  head,  and  five  rivulets  of 
blood  running  from  his  breast  and  his  feet,  and  falling 
into  one  stream  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  (9).  In  the  first 
ages  of  superstition,  this  was  the  usual  mode  of  repre- 
senting the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  and  it  was  nearly 
seven  hundred  years  after  the  event,  when  a  council 
held  at  Trulla,  a  part  of  the  imperial  palace  at  Constan- 
tinople, issued  a  canon  to  prohibit  the  custom,  and 
which  ordered  that  in  future,  instead  of  a  lamb,  a  hu- 

(6)  Conjecturse  de  perpetuo  azymorum  usu  in  ecclesia  Latina.  Ro- 
nix    1688. 

(7)  De  Sacris  yEdificiis,  &c.  Cap.  iv.  De  Vaticana  basillica.  Sect.  ii. 
De  musivis  operibus  in  apside,  sive  tribuna  Vaticanae  basilicz, 

(8)  Tab.xiii. 

(9)  Ad  crucis  pedeiu  stat  agnus  san^nem  e  pectore  effundens  in 
calicem,  fcc. 


400  ON    ASPERSION. 

man  figure  should  represent  Jesus  on  the  cross  (1). 
This  was  turning  an  emblematical  picture  into  an  histo- 
ry painting.  The  direct  contrary  took  place  in  descrip- 
tions of  bajitism  ;  and  although  it  is  certain  the  Emperor 
Constautine  was  baptized  at  Nicomedia  by  immersion, 
yet  his  baj)tism  is  described  at  Rome  by  pouring. 
The  Emperor  is  kneeling  stark  naked  in  a  laver  ; 
Sylvester  is  pouring  water  upon  his  head,  and  a  verse 
declares  he  was  at  the  same  time  both  baptized  and 
cured  of  the  leprosy  (i). 

Rex  baptizatur,  et  lepras  sorde  lavatur. 

Whether  the  Emperor  were  baptized  at  Rome  or  at 
Nicomedia,  or  at  both,  is  said  to  be  uncertain  ;  but 
there  is  no  doubt  of  his  being  immersed,  for  all  parties 
baptized  by  immersion  then  (3). 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  such  emblems.  In 
the  year  fifteen  hundred  and  eight,  a  quarto  book  was 
published  at  Cologne,  written,  as  it  was  pretended,  by  a 
converted  Jew,  formerly  called  Joseph,  then  John  Peffer- 
korn,  entitled  Speculum  adhortatioms  Judaice  ad  Cliristii, 
This  is  the  second  edition.  To  this  book  a  plate  is 
prefixed,  intended  to  describe  the  abolition  of  circum- 
cision and  the  administration  of  baptism.  Blood  from 
the  five  wounds  of  Jesus  is  flowing  into  a  font,  over 
which  a  boy  standing  on  his  feet  is  leaning,  the  Pope 
having  on  his  triple  crown,  is  laying  his  right  hand  on 
his  head,  to  bow  it  into  the  water,  and  holding  up  in  his 
left  hand  a  key,  while  the  demon  of  avarice  is  endeav- 
ouring to  decoy  him  away.  The  w^hole  is  emblematic- 
al of  the  nature  and  benefits  of  baptism,  but  not  descrip- 
tive of  the  ordinary  manner  of  administering  it  (4). 

2.  In  the  primitive  church  there  is  no  mention  of 
baptizing  by  pouring.  In  the  middle  ages,  there  was  a 
real,  literal  pouring,  which,  although  it  was  annexed  to 
a  preparation  for  baptism,  was  not  baptism,  but  a  very 
distinct  ceremony,  called  capitulavium,  or  washing  of 
the  head  :  and,  some  think,  this  is  that  pouring,  which 

(1)  Can  83  decretum  fuit,  loco  agni,  ut  Christus  in  cruce,  in  hominis 
figiira  pingeretur. 

(2)  Ciampini  ut  sup.    Cap.  ii.    De  Basilica  Lateranensi.    Tab.  ii.  Fig.  4. 

(3)  Hospinian  {de  origine  iemfilorum.     Lib,  ii.  Cap.  xiv.)  hath  collected 
and  weighed  the  evidences  on  both  sides. 

(4)  Specu!.   adhort.  yudaie.   ad  Christ.  Colonic  p.  Joan.  Pefferkorn  olini 
Judeu  mc  Christianu.   Anno  dni  M.  d.  viii.  in  Pfesto  Epiphanie  dni. 


ON    ASPERSION.  401 

is  described  in  monuments,  where  persons  are  depicted 
as  standing  naked  in  a  river,  while  the  waler  is  pen  red 
on  their  heads  (^5).  This  ceremony  was  performed  on 
Palm-Sunday  upon  the  competents,  in  order  to  wash  off 
any  soil  contracted  in  Lent,  (for  during  that  period  dress 
was  neglected)  and  to  cleanse  them  in  order  to  receive 
unction  preparatory  to  baptism,  which  was  administeied 
a  kw  days  after  (6).  Pouring  water  on  the  head, 
therefore,  was  not  baptism,  but,  like  exorcism,  a  pre- 
paration for  baptism  :  and  the  proof  that  the  Catholicks 
understood  baptism  to  be  neither  sprinkling,  nor  pour- 
ing, but  dipping,  is  demonstrative  by  the  uhole  econo- 
my of  baptism  ;  for  as  they  were  then  extremely  cau- 
tious never  to  repeat  baptism,  and  never  to  do  any  thing 
that  looked  like  a  repetition  of  it,  and  as  they  sprinkled 
in  exorcism,  and  poured  at  the  delivery  of  the  creed  on 
Palm-Sunday,  so  it  is  clear  they  considered  baptism  it- 
self as  immersion,  and  nothing  else. 

3.  The  first  appearance  of  baptizing  by  pouring  was 
in  the  eighth  century,  when  Pope  Stephen  allowed  the 
validity  of  such  a  baptism  of  infants  in  danger  of  death 
(7).  Protestants  confound  this  with  sprinkling  :  but 
the  words  are  express  for  pouring.  The  question, 
which  the  moi)ks  put  to  Stephen  was  :  "  Whether  in 
case  of  necessity,  when  an  infant  was  sickly,  it  were 
lawful  to  administer  baptism  by  pouring  water  upon  the 
head  out  of  a  vessel  or  the  hands  :  Si  licet  per  necessita- 
■  tern  cum  concha,  aiit  cum  manibus,  infanti  in  injirmitate 
posito,  aquam  super  caput  iundere,  et  sic  b.:ptizare'? 
In  the  ninth  century  VValafrid  Strabo  supposed,  adults 
might  be  baptized  by  pouring  in  case  of  necessity, 
si  necessitas  sit(^H)  He  grounded  his  opinion  on  an 
error,  as  hatli  been  observed  in  another  place  :  but  he, 
imagining  it  had  been  done,  supposed  it  might  be  done 
airain  in  case  of  necessity.  This  pouring  upon  the  head, 
fundens  super  caputs  or  as  Strabo  hath  it,  superfusion, 
clesuper  Jundeiis^  was  not  pouring  water  upon  the  face  of 
a  child  lying  along  in  the  arm,  or  upon  the  forehead  of  a 

(5)  Chap.  xii.  Baptisteries The  baptistery  at  Ravenna.     Chap.  xt. 

(6)  Gerl)erti  vet.  Liturg.   Tom.  ii.    Disq.  v.  S.  xii,     Traditie,  redJitieqttel 
syniboli,  Capitulavium,  doininica  palmarum. 

(7)  See  before  in  this  Chap,  page  428. 

(8)  De  rebus  ccclesiasticis.  Cap.  xxvi. 

51 


402  ON    ASPEKSIOA'. 

man  standing  or  kneeling,  so  that  it  ran  down  the  face^ 
and  off  the  chin  :  but  it  was  a  pouring  of  water  upon 
the  top  of  the  head  upon  persons  naked,  as  undoubted 
literal  pictures  of  the  times  prove,  and  hence  in  the 
thirteenth  century  came  this  canon  :  "  The  administra- 
tor of  baptism,  while  he  immerses  the  person  to  be  bap- 
tized in  water,  shall  say  these  words  without  addition, 
subtraction,  or  alteration,  naming  the  child,  Peter  or 
John  :  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  :  and,  to  avoid  all  dan- 
ger, let  not  the  priest  dip  the  head  of  the  child  in  water, 
but  let  him  hold  the  child  discreetly  with  one  hand,  and 
let  him  three  times  pour  water  upon  the  crown  of  his 
head  out  of  a  bason,  or  a  clean  and  decent  vase  (9)." 
This  is  the  baptism  of  a  child,  who  could  stand  alone  : 
and  this  serves  to  prove,  that  in  the  Netherlands  in  the 
close  of  the  thirteenth  century,  baptism  was  administer- 
ed in  ordinary  to  such  children. 

iii.  The  administration  of  baptism  by  sprinkling  was 
first  invented  in  Africa  in  the  third  century,  in  favour  of 
dinicks  or  bed-ridden  people  :  but  even  African  Catho- 
licks,  the  least  enlightened  and  most  depraved  of  all  Cath- 
olicks,  derided  it,  and  reputed  it  no  baptism  ( l).  It  was 
the  doctrine  of  original  sin  that  first  brought  together 
lustral  water  to  expel  Satan,  baptism  for  the  remission 
of  sin,  and  infants.  In  the  case  of  adults,  lustral  water 
sprinkled  in  exorcism  was  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  act  of  baptizing :  in  cases  of  necessity  they  were 
brought  near,  as  at  the  baptism  of  sick,  consumptive,  or 
dying  Catechumens,  and  hence  came  the  services  in  an- 
cient rituals,  which  are  entitled  for  the  succour  of  sick 
Catechumens,  and  for  the  baptism  of  sick  Catechu- 
mens (2).  In  the  case  of  expiring  babes,  the  pressing 
necessity  of  dispatch  compelled  the  priests  to  omit  most 
of  the  previous  ceremonies;  and  some  administrators, 
to  make  sure  by  one  dexterous  effort  of  both  expelling 
Satan  and  remitting  sin,  baptized  with  lustral  or  holy 
water,  and  as  they  had  only  small  quantities  of  this,  they 
were  obliged  to  be  sparing  and  only  sprinkle.  An  ex- 
press statute  to  prohibit  this  practice  fully  proves  the 
being  of  it.     By  this,  and   by  confounding  sprinkling 

(9)  Joan.  Episc.  Leodiensis  Statut.  Synod.  An.  1287. 

(1)  Jo.  Andreae  Bosii  de  clinicis  exercit.    Hist.  Jenje. 

(2)  Gerberti  Vet.  Litiirg.  Diss.  y.  Gjip.i.  S.  xix. 


ON    ASPERSION.  403 

With  pouring,  the  custom   of  baptizing  by  sprinkling 
stole  into  the  church  in  cases  of  necessity. 

The  Caivinist  reformers  rejected  exorcism  ;  and  they 
allowed  the  validity   of  dipping ;    but  they  adopted  a 
mode  of  pouring  which  they  confounded  with  sprinkling, 
and  which  at  length  they  actually  exchanged  for  sprink- 
ling.    The  French  church  at  Frankfort  in  their  liturgy 
ordered  baptism  to  be  performed  by  the  minister,  who, 
having  a  table  and  a  bason  of  clean  water  before  him,  was 
directed  to  cast  water  with  his  hand  upon  the  head  of 
the  child  (3).     In  the  liturgy  of  the  English  church  at 
Frankfort,  King  Edward's  service  book  was  used,  and  bap- 
tism was  administered  by  tri7ie  ifnmersw?i.    In  the  Scotch 
church  at  Geneva,  the  minister  was  directed  to  take  wa- 
ter in  his  hand,  and  lay  it  upon  the  childes  forehead. 
The  same  book  calls  this  pouring  (4).       An  hundred 
years  after,  in  the  assembly  of  divines.  Dr.  Lightfoot  was 
the  man  who  caused  dipping  to  be  excluded,  and  sprink- 
ling declared  sufEcient  (5)!     When  the  assembly  came 
to  the  vote,  whether  the  directory  should  run  thus,  ''  The 
minister  shall  take  water,  and  sprinkle  or  pour  it  with  his 
hand  upon  the  face  or  forehead  of  the   child,"    some 
were  unwilling  to  have  dipping  excluded,  so  that  the 
vote  came  to  an  equality  within  one ;  for  the  one  side 
there  being  twenty-four,  and  for  the  other  twenty-five. 
Next  day  the  affair  was  resumed,  when  the  Doctor  in- 
sisted on  hearing  the  reasons  of  those,   who  were  for 
dipping.    At  length  it  was  proposed  that  it  should  be  ex- 
pressed thus :   "  That  pouring  on  of  water,  or  sprinkling 
in  the  administration  of  baptism  is  lawful  and  sufficient." 
Lightfoot  excepted  against  the  word  lawful,  it  being  the 
same  as  if  it  should  be  determined  to  be  lawful  to  use 
bread  and  wine  in  the  Lord's  supper;  and  he  moved, 
that  it  might  be  expressed  thus  :   "It  is  not  only  lawful 
but  also  sufficient;"  and  it  was  put  down  so  accordingly. 
In  some  other  parts  of  the  same  directory,  the  minister 
is  left  "  to  use  his  own  liberty  and  godly  wisdom  (6)  :    but 
no   man  in  the  assembly  knew  where  wisdom  and  god- 

(3)  Liturgia  sacra,  seu  ritus  ministerii  in  ecclesia  peregrinorum  Fran- 
■cofordiae  ad  Moenum.  Edit,  secunda.  Francofordis.  1555.  nag.  54.  Litui-g, 
baptism  I.  »    o  o 

(4)  The  form  of  prayers  and  administration  of  the  sacraments,  used  in 
the  English  churcli  at  Geneva Geneva.  1556.  The  order  of  bantisme. 

(5)  See  his  life  in  Bayle's  Rem.  F. 

(6)  Tlie  adininistration  of  the  sacraments  ofSaptUm, 


404  ON    ASPERSION. 

liness  were  not  to  be  trusted  better  than  Dr.  Lightfoot ; 
and  he  iniormed  the  house  o[  commons  in  a  sermon  at 
St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  that,  though  he  "  would 
not  go  about  to  determine  whether  conscience  might  be 
bound  or  not,  yet  certainly  the  devil  in  the  conscience 
might  be,  yea,  must  be  bound  by  the  civil  magistrate.'* 
This  was  by  ^ay  of  expounding  his  text,  which  was 
taken  from  the  twciitieth  of  Revelation,  where  the  angel^ 
'who  had  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  a  great  chain  in 
his  hand,  laid  hold  of  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  ivhich 
is  the  de'ud  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand  years{l). 
I'he  learned  Doctor  exhausted  all  his  Rabbinical  stores 
in  endeavouring  to  prove  that  sprinkling  was  an  apostol- 
ical practice  :  yet,  says  theequall}  learned  and  better  in- 
formed Father  Geibert,  others  think  sprinkling  was  used 
only  in  cases  of  necessity  (8).  This  is  not  the  only  in- 
stance in  which  Catholicks  have  observed  the  innova- 
tions introduced  into  baptism  by  Protestants.  The 
pontiff  of  Rome  never  presumed  to  stand  on  the  verge 
of  a  baptistery,  and  pronounce  the  baptismal  words, 
while  his  official  below  immersed  a  child  in  water,  but 
Protestant  ministers  have  done  more  :  one  in  the  pulpit 
hath  uttered  the  words,  I  baptize  thee,  and  so  on,  uhile 
another  below  hath  sprinkled  the  child.  Cardinal  Sfon- 
drati  persuaded  them  to  lay  aside  this  abuse  (i'). 

Protestants,  whose  churches  are  not  established  by 
law,  and  whose  discipline  is  not  regulated  by  human 
articles  of  faith,  but  by  the  holy  scriptures  alone,  have 
taken  infinite  pains  to  obtain  scripture-evidence  of  bap- 
tizing infants,  and  of  baptizing  by  sprinkling.  The  first 
English  reformers  foresaw  the  business  would  come  to 
this,  and  on  this  ground  they  foretold  the  utter  anni- 
hilation of  the  mass.  Dr.  Turner,  dean  of  Wells,  and 
physician  to  Edward  vi.  published  a  sort  of  Drama  to 
represent  the  absurdity  of  the  mass.  The  person<s  of 
the  drama  are,  "  Maistres  Missa  ;  Master  Knowledge  ; 
Master  Fremouthe ;    Master  Justice  of  Peace  ;    Peter 

(7)  Dr.  Liglitfoot's  Sermon  before  the  house  of  comtnons,  Aug,  26M, 
1645  London.  1645. 

(8)  Vet.  Liturg.  Disq,  V.  Cap.  i.  S.  xxii. 

(9)  Ibid,  XX.  Baptizabant  diaconi  coram  pontifice  adjuvantibus  subdia. 
conis  et  acolythis.  At  id  inauditum  ac  perversissimiim.quod  alicubi  a  Prot- 
estantibus  fit,  ut  uno  ministro  aquam  afi'undente,  alius  e  suggestu  formu- 
lam  pronuntiet  Quem  abusum  ministri  urbis  San-Gallensis  persuadente 
Gardinali  Sfondrati  sustulerunt. 


ON    ASPERSION.  405 

Preco,  the  Cryer;  Palemon,  the  Judge  ;  Doctor  Proph- 
yri ;  Syr  Phillyp  Philargyry."  In  the  end  of  the  trial, 
Palemon  the  Judge  gives  sentence  that  Mistress  Missa, 
daughter  of  the  Pope,  should  depart  the  realm  widiin 
eiglit  days,  with  orders  never  to  return,  under  penalty  of 
being  "served  even  as  thy  Father  hath  served  ourc 
brethren  in  tyme  past."  Mistress  Missa  quits  the  court 
with  these  words  : 

Helpe  and  defende  ray  ^ood  brethren  all, 

Whych  lovedoGlrine  cathedrall. 

And  do  beleve  unwryten  verltie 

To  be  as  good  as  scriptures  sincetite. 

Because  in  the  bible  I  cannot  be  founde 

The  heretikes  woulde  burye  me  under  the  grounde. 

1  piayeyou  hartily  yf  it  be  possible 

To  <j-et  my  a  place  in  the  great  bible  : 

Or  else  as  I  do  understande 

1  shal  be  banished  out  of  thys  lande, 

And  shall  be  compelled  with  sorow  and  payn 

To  returne  to  Rome  to  my  Father  agayue  (l). 

The  author  of  this  little  tract  was  a  man  of  eminent 
worth,  and  Bath  owes  him  a  statue,  for  as  he  was  the 
first  Englishman  who  compiled  ari  herbal,  so  he  Was  the 
first  uho  published  a  physical  examination  of  Bath 
waters  (2).  A  firm  Protestant,  and  an  enemy  on  prin- 
ciple to  persecution,  he  very  consistently  observes,  that 
whatever  was  not  found  in  scripture  was  no  part  of 
Protestantism,  and  must  revert  to  the  Catholicks  from 
whence  it  came.  Hence  he  puts  into  the  mouth  of  the 
mass  the  facetious  proposal  oi  getting  a  place  in  the  great 
bible.  The  worthy  dean  himself,  in  his  book  against 
the  Anabaptists,  found  a  place  in  the  gospel  for  children  : 
but  he  did  not  attempt  to  get  one  for  sprinkling,  and  all 
such  attempts  by  later  divines  have  failed  of  success  (3). 
The  late  Dr.  Guyse,  a  man  who  ought  always  to  be 
mentioned  with  respect  for  his  pious  and  practical  la- 
bours in  the  church,  gives  a  singular  opinion  on  the 
manner  of  John's  baptizing.  He  says:  "  It  seems  to 
me,  that  the  people  stood  in  ranks,  near  to,  or  just  with- 

(1)  A  new  Dialogue  wherein  is  conteyned  the  examination  of  the  Messe, 
and  of  that  kynde  of  Priesthodc,  whych  is  ordeined  to  say  mcsse :  and  to 
ofl'er  up  for  remyssyon  of"  synne,  the  bodye  and  bloude  of  Christe  agayne. 
-  -  .  -  -  N.    Neither  printer,  place,  nor  date. 

(2)  Cough's  Topography.  Vol.  i.  Natural  History,  p.  132.  142. Vol.  ii. 

Somersetshire,  pag.  193. 

(3)  Tnacle.  Seepage  43-^. 


406  ON    ASPERSION. 

in  the  edge  of  the  river  ;  and  John,  passing  along  before 
them,  cast  water  upon  their  heads  or  faces  with  his 
hands,  or  some  proipcr  instru7nem  (^4).^^  The  Doctor 
doth  not  say  w  hat  insirumetjt  he  imaj^ined,  but  it  must 
be  either  ordinary  or  extraordinary.  There  were  at  that 
time  only  two  instruments  in  ordinary  use  for  the  pur- 
pose of  rehgious  aspersion,  the  one  Jewish,  the  other 
Pagan.  That  of  the  Jews  consisted  of  three  things  :  a 
cedar  handle,  a  bunch  of  hyssop  for  the  brush-parl,  and 
a  scarlet  binding,  with  which  the  hyssop  was  confined 
round  the  end  of  the  handle  in  the  fashion  of  a  brush. 
The  ancient  Greeks  had  made  use  of  a  natural  branch  of 
laurel  or  olive,  but  in  the  time  of  John,  the  Aspergil,  or 
sprinkler,  at  Rome,  was  an  artificial  instrument,  pictures 
of  which  yet  remain  to  be  seen.  It  doth  not  appear  that 
John,  or  Jesus,  or  the  apostles,  or  any  primitive  Chris- 
tians, ever  made  use  ofany  religious  aspersions,  or  of  either 
of  these  aspergils  ;  on  the  contrary,  a  great  number  of  cen- 
sures of  every  kind  of  lustration  appear  in  the  writings 
of  the  primitive  fathers  {b).  Jewish  purifications  they 
disclaimed,  and  they  considered  aspersion  with  horror 
as  a  Pagan  rite. 

The  reduction  of  the  Christian  religion  to  the  size  of 
children  hath  been  the  ruin  of  the  credit  of  Christianity ; 
and  the  institutes  have  shared  the  fate  of  the  doctrine, 
they  have  been  dismounted  from  their  original  pedestals, 
frittered  into  puerile  playthings,  and  at  length  despised, 
broken,  and  thrown  away.  Thus  in  emblems,  the  river 
became  a  bath,  the  bath  a  font,  the  font  a  bason,  the 
bason  a  cup,  the  cup  a  cruet,  a  sponge,  and  a  syringe, 
instruments  not  yet  imported  into  B'^ngland.  It  hath 
happened  the  same  with  the  Lord's  supper.  Remem- 
brance of  Christ  was  essential  to  this,  as  belief  \v2iS  to  bap- 
tism :  but  when  the  sacrament  was  administered  to  in- 
fants, the  doctrine  being  lost,  the  utensils  were  reduced. 
Infant-communion  began  with  a  cup  given  to  boys  at 
Alexandria ;  it  went  on  with  a  spoon  in  which  a  few 
crumbs  of  bread  were  soaked  in  wine,  and  put  into  the 
mouths  of  the  little  ones.  When  natural  infants  became 
communicants,  the  spoon  fell  into  disuse  in  communi- 
cating them,   and  the  bread,  for  they  sometimes  would 

(4)  Dr.   John   Guyse's   Practical  Expositor,  od  Edit.  Edinburgh,  177S- 
Mat.  iii.  6.  notes. 

(5^   Hospiniani  e  Temtli's.  Lib.  ii.  Can.  xxv.    De  oripine  apux  lustralis. 


ON    ASPERSION.  407 

not  swallow  it :  then  the  priest  dipped  his  finger  in  the 
wine,  and  moistened  the  lips  of  the  babe  (^).  At  length 
it  was  wholly  omitted.  It  was  a  wise  caution,  uhich 
Moses  gave  the  Jews  :  In  all  things  that  1  haise  said 
unto  you^  be  circumspect :  it  was  a  repetition  of  what  the 
Lord  had  said  to  him  ;  See  thou  make  all  things  ac- 
cording to  the  pattern  shewed  thee  in  the  mount  ( *  ). 

Whether  Dr.  Guyse  imagined  standing  in  ranks  at 
baptism  as  a  convenient  method,  or  whether  he  took  it 
from  the  history  of  the  Jesuit  Lobo's  voyage  to  Abys- 
sinia, is  uncertain,  and  not  very  material;  but  that  Lobo 
baptized  in  this  form  is  beyond  a  d  lubt.  It  was  about 
the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  that  Father 
Jerome  Lobo,  a  Portuguese  Jesuit,  with  proper  assist- 
ants, under  favour  of  the  Emperor  of  Abyssinia,  who 
for  political  reasons  pretended  to  be  converted  to  the 
church  of  Rome,  managed  a  mission  in  that  country, 
and  thus  he  describes  the  baptism  of  his  converts. 
"  We  erected  our  tent,  and  placed  our  altar  under  some 
great  trees,  for  the  benefit  of  the  shade  ;  and  every  day 
before  sun-rising,  my  companion  and  1  began  to  cate- 
chise and  instruct  these  new  Catholicks,  and  used  our 
utmost  endeavours  to  make  them  abjure  their  errors. 
W^hen  we  were  weary  with  speaking,  we  placed  in  ranks 
those  who  were  sufficiently  instructed,  and  passing 
through  them  with  great  vessels  of  water,  baptized  thcin 
according  to  the  form  prescribed  by  the  church.  As 
their  number  was  very  great,  we  cried  aloud — those  of 
this  rank  are  named  Anthony — those  of  that  rank,  Peter 
— and  did  the  same  among  the  women,  whom  we  sepa- 
rated from  among  the  men.  We  then  confessed  them, 
and  admitted  them  to  the  communion."  This  book 
was  published  in  Portuguese,  and  in  French  before  the 
time  of  Dr.  Guyse,  and  Mr.  afterward  Dr.  Johnson, 
translated  it,  as  Sir  John  Hawkins  supposes,  for  a  book- 
seller, at  Birmingham,  who  published  it  in  an  octavo 
volume,  in  February,  seventeen  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  (8). 

(6)  Reiiaudot.  ut  sup.  Cochlear  llturgicum.  Tom.  ii. 

Syrorum  Jacobitar.  Liturg.  com.  ii.  pa{j.  13  Spongiam  et  cochlear  in  la- 
tere austral!  supra  tubulam  consecratam  deponit  sacerdos  -  -  Observat.  p, 
112.-121. 

(7)  Exod  xxiii.  13. Heb.  viii.  5. 

(8)  The  Life  of  Samud  Johmon,  L,  i.  D.  h  Sir  John  Havikim,  Kn^. 
London.  1787. 


408  ON    ASPERSION. 

In  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and  three,  John  de 
Saint  Valier,  Bishop  of  Quebec,  pubUshed  a  ritual  for 
the  use  of  his  diocese,  to  which  are  subjoined  answers 
to  several  queries  proposed  by  his  clergy,  and  the  said 
answers  are  subscribed  by  thirteen  Doctors  of  the  Sor- 
bonne  at  Paris  (9).  The  ritual  directs  the  priest  to 
baptize  either  by  immersion,  plunging  the  vvhole  body 
into  the  water,  or  by  ablution,  pouring  a  little  water  up- 
on the  head  (I).  The  latter  is  to  be  performed  by  tak- 
ing a  little  cruet  of  baptismal  water,  and  pouring  it 
three  times  in  form  of  a  cross  upon  the  head  of  the 
infant.  An  adult  is  to  uncover  his  head  and  neck,  and 
to  lean  his  head  over  the  baptismal  font,  and  the  priest 
is  to  make  three  pourings  upon  it  out  of  a  small  vessel. 
One  of  the  queries  was  whether  affusion  were  necessary 
to  the  validity  of  baptism.  The  querist  informs  the 
bishop,  that  as  children  were  apt  to  be  afraid  of  the 
priest,  it  had  been  a  custom  to  baptize  by  moistening 
the  hand  with  baptismal  water,  and  rubbing  it  on  the 
forehead,  and  sometimes  to  baptize  with  a  sponge. 
Were  such  baptisms  valid  ?  The  casuists  reply  ;  Affu- 
sion is  not  essential,  and  baptism,  administered  by  a 
moist  hand,  or  a  spunge,  is  valid. 

Dr.  Wall  observes,  that  all  national  churches  practise 
infant  baptism.  Very  true,  infant  baptism  as  it  was 
intended,  created  national  churches,  and  gives  them  con- 
tinuance, as  it  gave  them  being.  Let  what  will  be  said 
in  praise  of  such  churches,  it  can  never  be  affirmed  that 
they  were  either  formed  or  continued  by  the  free  consent 
of  their  members.  It  was  for  this  reason  the  learned  Dr. 
Gill  called  infant  baptism  the  main  ground  and  pillar  of 
popery,  and  a  great  number  of  Baptists  are  of  the  same 
opinion  (2).  If  all  people  were  put  into  a  condition  of 
perfect  religious  freedom,  as  they  ought  to  be,  it  is  a 
great  question  whether  they  would  all  choose  to  profess 
themselves  of  the  religion  of  their  parents,  and  the  chance 
is  very  great  indeed  against  the  church  of  Rome. 

Time  only  can  discover  what  the  fate  of  this  singular 
ceremony  will  be.  If  a  judgment  of  the  future  may  be 
formed  by  the  past,  infant  baptism,  like  infant  monach- 

(9)  Rifuel  du  Diocese  de  ^ebec,  public  par  V or  dre.de  Monseigneur  De 
Saint  Valier  eveque  de  Shiehec.     A  Paris    1703. 

(1)  Chap.  ii.  Du  Baptesme.  Art.  2.  De  la  matiere. 

(2)  Infant  Baptism  a  part  and  pillar  of  popary.  London.  17r6. 


OK    ASPERSION.  409, 

ism  will  fall  into  total  disuse,  and  for  the  same  reasons. 
It  was  formerly  a  practice  both  in  France  and  England, 
but  most  in  England,  to  make  monks  and  nuns  of  in-- 
fants  of eeven,  five,  two,  and  even  one  year  old:  but 
this  is  now  every  where  disused  (3).  The  dipping  of 
little  infants  was  found  to  be  a  very  troublesome  and  in- 
convenient ceremony,  sometimes  extremely  offensive, 
and  at  all  times  depending  upon  a  hazard  which  must 
give  the  fair  sex  a  great  deal  of  pain,  and  as  it  hath  fair- 
ly worn  itself  down  to  a  few  drops,  the  importance  of 
these  few  drops  may  in  time  appear  so  little,  that  they 
also  will  be  laid  aside.  Lei  any  man  of  common  under- 
standing lift  his  mind  to  the  dignity  and  majesty  of  the 
infiiutely  wise  and  good  God,  and  then  imagine  whether 
it  be  possible  that  the  moral  government  of  his  empire 
can  depend  on  the  application  of  a  wet  spunge,  a  nioist 
hand,  a  few  drops  of  water  applied  by  one  frail  mortal  to 
the  forehead  of  another.  If  any  thing  good  in  the  world 
depends  on  a  ceremony  so  trifling  and  so  capricious,  the 
supreme  wisdom,  justice,  and  goodness,  is  not  what  pi- 
ous men  have  been  used  to  take  it  for.  The  inconveni- 
ences of  the  ceremony  of  baptizing  infants  in  every  form, 
hath  been  in  all  churches  where  it  hath  been  practised,  re- 
corded at  large.  In  the  Roman  church,  and  in  the  Greek, 
children  have  been  drowned.  Baronius  mentions  one  who 
lost  his  life  in  the  Vatican  baptistery  on  a  holy  Saturday. 
A  disagreeable  accident  happened  in  the  East  to  the  Em- 

g^ror  Copronymus  at  his  baptism,  in  Bohemia  to  the 
mperor  Wenceslaus  at  his,  and  the  canonical  provis- 
ions for  such  cases  fully  imply  that  they  were  very  com- 
mon (4).  There  is  one  in  the  Briiish  history  of  the 
tenth  century  reported  by  ancient  chroniclers.  King 
Edward,  the  martyr,  had  a  younger  brother  who  suc- 
ceeded him,  and  whose  long  reign  of  eight  and  thirty  years, 
all  unprosperous  to  his  country,  ou  inp:  they  say  to  his  indo- 
lence, obtained  him  the  name  of  Ethelred,  the  unready. 
They  say,  his  reign  in  the  beginning,  was  ungracious, 
wretched  in  the  middle,  and  hateful  in  the  latter- end.  It  was 

(3)  Concil.  Tolet.  iv.Can.  6.  De  his  qui  in  parva  aetata  ooram  parentibus 
religionis  habitum  tenuerunt— J.  Mabillon.  Vet.  Analect.  de  oblat  pue- 
ror.  in  monast. 

(4)  Hist.  Literal*.  1730-1.  page  187.  Review  «f  L'Enfant's  Hist,  of  the 
Hussite  war. 

52 


410  01     ANABAPTISM. 

the  custom  at  this  time  to  dip  infants  in  publick  ;  and  at 
the  birth  of  this  prince  the  administrator  of  baptism  to 
the  royal  family  was  the  most  stately  man  alive,  Dunstan, 
formerly  abbot  of  Glastonbury,  then  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, and  since  his  death,  by  due  process  of  canoni- 
zation, a  saint.  This  prelate  during  the  administration 
of  baptism  sometimes  felt  himself  inspired,  and  then  he 
uttered  predictions.  "While  he  was  baptizing  a  child 
named  Elnoth,  he  observed  him  to  come  up  from  the 
water  lifting  up  his  little  right  hand,  and  spreading  out 
his  two  fore-fingers  exactly  as  a  bishop  did  when  he  pro- 
nounced benedictions  on  the  people.  Dunstan  foretold 
that  Elnoth  would  be  a  bishop,  and  the  prediction 
came  to  pass,  for  Elnoth  was  preferred  to  the  archbish- 
oprick  of  Canterbury  (5).  In  this  spirit,  at  the  baptism 
of  Ethelred,  his  grace,  agitated  with  a  thousand  hopes 
and  fears  for  the  future  state  of  his  country,  during  the 
whole  service  looked  wistly  at  the  royal  child,  and 
watched  every  movement  till  he  should  feel  the  holy- 
spirit  of  prophecy.  AH  on  a  sudden  the  sacred  shock 
quick  as  electrical  fire  was  felt,  both  by  himself,  and  by 
all  the  lords  and  ladies  in  waiting,  and  his  grace  fell  a 
swearing,  By  God  and  the  Virgin  Mary  this  boy  will 
prove  a  sluo^gard  !  For  as  he  held  him  naked  over  the 
font,  he  did  in  the  water  what  he  ought  not  to  have 
done  (6). 

CHAP.  XXXIV. 

OF    ANABAPTISM. 

IT  is  not  a  litrie  diverting  to  see  with  what  perfect 
self-complacence  many  authors  have  given  the  world 
histories  of  the  Anabaptists.     Indiscriminately,  without 

(5)  Dugdal.  Monasticon.  Vol.  i.  De  archiep.  de  coBventu  Glastonix. 

(6)  John  Fox's  Acts  and  Monuments.  An.  979.  King  Egelred  or  Elred  -  - 
Milton's  Wst.  of  Brit.  Ethelred  -  -  Ordinances  by  Margaret  countesse  of 
Richmond  and  Derby.  Leland  Collect.  Vol.  iv.  p.  180.  How  the  churche 
shall  be  arraied  againste  the  christeninge.  Neere  anto  the  font  there  must 
be  hanged  a  traves,  with  carpets  and  quishins  to  the  same,  a  faire  panne  of 
coles  welle  biirnte  before  they  come  there  for  smellinge,  and  sweet  perfumes 
to  caste  therin,  chafrons  of  water,  with  basons  ot  silver,  and  gilte,  to  washe 
the  childe,  ifneade  be. 

Leland's  Itinerary.  Vol.  ix.  Comment,  in  Cygneam  cantionem.  Ethel- 
redus  rex  Angliae,  filius  clarissimi  Eadgari,  et  Ealfriths.  Hie  in  baptis- 
rnate  fontem  ventris  profluvio  foedavit,  teste  Gul.  a  Maildulphi  curia  libro 
de  vita  Dunstani  Cant,  archiep.  secundo.  Unde  divinabant  multi,  futurum 
ilium  vecordem,  sorditum,  et  parum  reipub.  utilem. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  411 

any  definition  of  terms,  or  any  distinction  of  times,  pla- 
ces, persons,  or  circumstances,  without  suspecting  any 
thing  to  be  false,  or  proving  any  thing  to  be  true,  they 
roll  the  narration  rapidly  along,  and  conclude  without 
giving  the  reader  any  information.  There  is  not  a 
plainer  tale  in  the  world  than  that  of  the  Anabaptists, 
yet  there  is  not  a  tale  more  confused  in  the  telling. 
According  to  some,  who  have  done  the  Anabaptists  the 
honour  of  writing  their  history,  without  knowing  any 
thing  certain  of  the  matter,  it  ought  to  be  reported  at  the 
end  of  a  doleful  tale  about  heresy,  and  sedition,  and 
Nicholas  Stork,  and  the  German  Anabaptists,  that  the 
first  lady  in  Europe,  her  imperial  majesty  Catherine  iii, 
the  present  Empress  of  all  the  Russias,  is  an  Anabaptist. 
For  it  is  strictly  true,  as  an  accurate  and  elegant  histo- 
rian observes,  that  "  in  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and 
forty  five  Peter,  afterward  the  Czar  Peter  iii.  espoused 
Sophia  Augusta,  princess  of  Anhalt  Zerbst,  who,  upon 
being  rebaptized  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Greek 
church,  was  called  Catherine  Alexiefna,''  and  who  now 
reigns  with  so  much  glory  over  that  vast  empire  (1). 
One  page  of  criticism  is  of  more  worth  than  a  whole 
volume  of  declamation,  and  the  critical  accuracy  of  the 
history  of  Anabaptists  is  nothing  in  the  world  but  a  fair 
narration  of  distinct  facts.  To  mix  all  these  facts  into 
one  general  history  is  to  create  a  chaos. 

An  Anabaptist  is  one,  who  is  re-baptized :  but  if  it 
be  granted  that  baptism  may  be  administered  wrong, 
what  possible  reason  can  be  given  why  it  should  not 
be  re-administered  right  ?  Something  certainly  is  essen- 
tial to  baptism  ;  if  that  something  be  omitted  in  an  ad- 
ministration, the  act  is  not  a  baptism  but  a  fiction,  and 
consequently  reason  requires  that  the  fiction  be  super- 
seded by  conferring  the  essence,  otherwise  it  is  as  if  gold 
were  left  out  of  a  guinea.  The  little  boy  Athanasius, 
when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  at  play  dipped  his 
play.fellows  in  the  sea,  and  it  was  adjudged  by  the  bish- 
op and  his  consistory  a  valid  baptism,  because  it  appear- 
ed on  inquiry,  he  had  previously  asked  the  usual  ques- 
tions, the  boys  had  made  the  proper  answers,  and  he 
had  pronounced  as  he  dipped  them  the  same  words, 

(1)  William  Coxe's  travels  into  Poland,  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Denmark, 
T",ondon  1784.  Vol.  ii.  Book  v. 


"Ii'#  OP    ANABAPTISM. 

which  he  had  heard  the  bishop  pronounce  when  he  bap- 
tized Catechumens  (2).  Had  any  of  these  parts  been 
omitted,  the  baptism  would  have  been  thought  invalid, 
and  the  children  must  have  been  rebaptized,  or  rather 
they  must  have  been  baptized,  for  the  first  would  have 
been  adjudged  no  baptism,  but  the  mere  sport  of  boys, 
who  knew  not  what  they  were  about.  The  bishop  of 
the  church  did  not  hold  a  consistory  on  the  question  of 
Aimbaptism,  but  on  the  fact  before  them,  whether  the 
boys  had  been  baptized,  or  not,  and  when  it  was  deter- 
mined they  had,  nobody  thought  of  rebaptizing  them. 
If  it  had  been  determined  they  had  not,  would  any  accu- 
rate writer  have  called  them  Anabaptists  for  being  after- 
ward regularly  baptized  by  the  bishop  ?  Here  then  lies 
the  whole  mystery  of  Anabaptism.  Nobody  holds,  or 
ever  did  hold,  at  least  in  this  part  of  the  world,  a  repeti- 
tion of  baptism  :  but  different  Christians  in  the  same 
ages  have  thought  differently  of  what  makes  the  essence 
of  baptism,  as  a  narration  of  facts  will  prove. 

Different  Kinds  of  Persons  called  Anabap- 
tists. 

There  are  in  general  six  sorts  of  Christians,  who  have 
been  called  Anabaptists,  as  different  from  one  another  as 
can  well  be  imagined.  The  first  placed  the  essence 
of  baptism  in  the  virtue  of  the  person  baptized  :  the 
second  placed  it  in  the  form  of  words  pronounced  in 
the  administration  :  the  third  in  the  virtue  of  the  ad- 
ministrator :  the  fourth  in  the  consent  of  the  person 
baptized :  the  fifth  in  dipping  :  and  the  sixth  in  both 
a  profession  of  faith  and  an  i(nmersion. 

i.  The  first  class  is  very  large  and  extremely  respect- 
able. It  was  about  the  close  of  the  second,  or  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third  century,  that  Tertullian  began  to  com- 
plain of  the  corruption  of  baptism,  and  he  wrote  a  book 
in  the  Greek  language,  against  the  administering  of  it  to 
immoral  persons  (3).  After  his  death,  Agrippinus, 
bishop  of  the  church  at  Carthage,  and  many  neighbour- 
ing bishops,  agreed  to  reject  the  vague  baptisms  admin- 
istered, they  knew  not  how  or  by  whom,  on  account  of 
the  immorality  of  the  people,  who  had  been  baptized, 

(2)  Ruffini  Lib.  i.  Cap.  14.      (3)  TertuUiani  de  ^aptismo.  Gap.  xv. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  413 

and  to  re-baptize  all  such  as  should  come  over  from 
those  communities  to  join  their  churches  (4).  A  few- 
years  after,  Cyprian  and  seventy-one  neii»hbounng 
bishops  renewed  this  agreement.  Then  Firmilian, 
bishop  of  Caesarea  in  Cappadocia,  and  a  great  many 
bishops  of  Galatia,  Cilicia,  Phrygia,  and  other  parts  of 
Asia,  determined  for  the  same  reason  to  re-baptize. 
Dionysius  and  his  followers  in  Egypt,  the  Acephali, 
Novatus  of  Rome,  Novatian  of  Carthage,  all  the  Nova- 
tian  churches,  Donatus  and  his  numberless  followers, 
called  after  him  Donatists,  all  rejected  the  baptism  ad- 
ministered by  those,  who  have  since  been  called  CathoU 
icks,  whom  they  reputed  hereticks,  and  whose  churches 
they  called  habitations  of  impurity,  and  all  such  as  came 
from  those  churches  to  them  they  rebaptized(5).  All 
these,  and  they  were  very  numerous,  considered  the 
probity  and  good  faith  of  the  person  baptized,  the  very 
essence  of  baptism,  and  if  a  professor  of  Christianity 
were  an  unholy  man,  they  adjudged  his  baptism  hke  his 
profession,  vain  and  invalid,  and  himself  not  a  weak  be- 
liever of  Christianity,  but  a  mere  unprincipled  Pagan. 
These  rigid  moralists,  however,  did  not  count  them- 
selves Anabaptists  ;  for  they  thought  there  was  but  one 
Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  and  that  their  own  (6). 

ii.  The  second  class  consists  of  such  as  place  the  es- 
sence of  baptism  in  the  form  of  words  pronounced  by 
the  administrator,  or,  to  speak  more  correctly,  in  a  be- 
lief of  that  concerning  the  nature  of  God,  which  the 
form  of  words  was  supposed  to  express.  In  the  year 
three-hundred  and  twenty-five,  the  council  of  Nice  was 
held  under  the  direction  of  the  Emperor,  Constantine 
the  Great.  In  this  council  the  Trinitarian  Judaizing 
Christians  got  themselves  established,  and  it  was  de- 
creed that  such  as  should  come  over  to  the  established 
church  from  the  congregations  of  the  Novatians  or  Puri- 
tans,  should  be  admitted  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  (7)  : 
but  that  such  as  should  come  from  the  Paulianists,  both 

(4)  Cypriani  EpistoU  ad  Januarlum ad  Quintum ad  Steplianum 

ad   Jiibaianum ad   Pompeium ad    Magnum Firmiliani    ad 

Cypiianum 

(5)  Oplati  op.   Lib  ii Baronii  Annales   An.  321,     Fuit  et  ilia  pecu- 

liaris  Donatistanim  haeresis,  qua  assererent,  ecciesiam  ibi  esse  non  posse, 
ubi  peccutum  est. 

(6)  Albaspinxi  Observat.  in  Optat.  i. 

(7)  Labbei  Concil.  Tom.  ii.  Can.  viii. 


414  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

men  and  women,  should  be  re-baptized  (8).  Commen- 
tators assign  a  very  true  reason  for  this  distinction  (9). 
The  Nicene  council  held  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  so 
did  the  Puritans,  and  both  expressed  their  faith  in  the 
Trinity  by  administering  baptism  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  :  but 
the  Pciulianists,  who  denied  the  Trinity,  and  affirmed 
that  Jesus  was  a  mere  man,  omitted  this  form.  Their 
baptism,  therefore,  the  Catholicks  rejected  as  nugatory, 
and  of  no  value.  The  Arians  for  the  same  reason  re- 
jected the  baptism  of  the  Catholicks,  and  they  also  re- 
baptized  such  as  came  from  them  to  join  their  societies 
(1).  Anabaptism,  as  it  is  called,  at  that  time,  was 
thought  by  all  parties  necessary  to  the  purity  of  their 
churches  :  yet  in  their  own  opinions  they  did  not  re- 
baptize  :  but  supposing  what  was  essential  to  baptism 
to  have  been  omitted,  they  administered  it  rightly,  as 
they  thought,  for  the  first  and  only  time. 

iii.  The  third  division  comprehends  all  such  as  plac- 
ed the  essence  of  baptism  in  the  virtue  or  competency 
of  the  administrator.  If  this  be  an  error,  as  it  should 
seem,  it  is  one  of  the  most  specious,  and  therefore 
one  of  the  most  popular  and  pardonable  mistakes  in  the 
Christian  world.  To  see  a  bad  man  perform  the  most 
solemn  rites  of  religion,  to  see  him  perform  them  with 
carelessness,  or  it  may  be  with  contempt,  is  to  behold  a 
spectacle  shocking  to  the  most  vulgar  eye,  the  cause, 
naturally,  of  prejudice  and  infidelity  in  the  people.  It 
was  on  this  account,  that  many  of  the  ancient  Bohemian 
Brethren  rebaptized,  and  were  denominated  by  the  priests, 
whose  services  they  disowned,  Anabaptists  (2).  ']"he 
truth  is,  the  brethren  estimated  baptizing  as  they  did 
praying,  and  as  they  thought  a  vicious  priest  did  not 
pray  because  he  chanted,  so  they  supposed  he  did  not 
baptize  because  he  administered  the  form  rightly.  They 
complained,  that  their  parish  priest  administered  bap- 
tism laughing,  and  in  a  manner  so  profane,  that  it  had 
more  the  air  of  a  ludicrous  comedy  than  of  a  religious 
institute.  Bishop  Bossuet  properly  enough  observes^ 
this  rebaptizing  was  an  open  declaration^  that  in  the 

(8)  Ibid.  Can.  xix. 

(9)  Binii  Notx  in  Conr..  Nieen.  Can,  xix, 

(1)  Concil  Arelatensi.  i.  viii. 

(2)  Lydii  Waldensia  Confess.  Tom.  it. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  415 

opinion  of  the  Brethren  the  Catholick  church  had  lost 
Baptism.  This  was  precisely  their  meaning  (3).  They 
did  not .  pretend  to  rebaptize  :  but  supposing  what  was 
done  in  the  church  to  be  no  baptism,  they  baptized,  as 
they  thought,  properly. 

iv.  The  fourth  class  consists  of  such  as  think  a  per- 
sonal profession  of  the  Christian  religion  essential  to 
baptism.  This  was  the  opinion  of  Socinus  (4),  as  it  is  of 
the  Baptist  churches  in  Holland  and  Germany  (5).  In  what 
light  soever  Christianity  be  represented,  whether  as  a 
law  to  be  obeyed,  a  declaration  to  be  believed,  or  a 
covenant  to  be  acceded  to,  it  should  seem,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  reconciling  either  with  allowed  ideas  of 
justice  and  propriety  without  admitting,  that  the  consent 
of  both  parties  is  of  the  very  essence  of  the  transaction. 
The  forcing  of  a  Jew  or  Pagan  to  be  baptized  without 
his  consent  is  now-a-days  considered  as  an  unwarranta- 
ble and  unprofitable  act  of  violence  :  but  the  baptism  of 
a  babe,  who  may  when  he  grows  up  to  manhood  be  an 
idiot  or  a  madman,  or  what  is  worse,  an  infidel  and  a 
persecutor,  doth  not  shock  any  body.  So  wonderful  is 
the  tyranny  of  custom  !  Christians  of  this  class  consider 
the  baptism  of  an  infant  as  they  would  consider  his  sig- 
nature of  a  deed,  if,  while  sucking  at  the  breast  his  guar- 
dian had  guided  a  pen  in  his  litde  hand,  and  had  made 
him  set  his  name.  Such  a  deed,  and  such  a  baptism, 
for  the  very  same  reasons,  they  hold  null  and  void,  and 
consequently  baptize  people  on  their  own  profession  of 
faith.  They  do  not  imagine  they  rebaptize,  though 
others  call  them  Anabaptists  (6). 

v.  The  fifth  class  place  the  essence  of  baptism  in  dip- 
ping in  water,  and  had  a  person  been  sprinkled  ever  so 
decently  in  any  period  of  life,  they  would  not  therefore 
think  him  baptized,  because,  in  their  opinion,  to  bap- 
tize is  to  dip,  and  nothing  else.  The  Greek  church 
doth  not  hold  sprinkling  to  be  baptism,  yet  the  Greeks 

(3)  Jacq.  Benigne  Bossuet,  Evesque  de  Meatix.  Hintoire  des  Variations  dea 
^giises  Protestantes.     A  Paris.  1688.  Liv.  vi. 

(4)  Socini  Opera.  Tom,  i,  p.  702. 

(5)  Hermanni  Schyn.  M.  D.  Historia  Christianorum,  ^ui  in  Belgio  fade- 
rata  inter  protestantes  Mennonitx  appellantur.  Amstelodami  1723.  Cap.  i. 
pag.  11. 

(6)  lhi^.prxfat. 


416  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

ought  not  to  be  called  Anabaptists  (7).  A  man,  who 
holds  every  part  of  baptism  indifferent  is,  if  he  repeats  it 
in  any  \va\',  on  his  own  principles,  an  Anabaptist :  but 
he,  who  holds  any  thing  essential  to  baptism,  must  nec- 
essarily determine  that  there  is  no  baptism  where  that 
essential  is  omitted.  Dipping  is  that  essential  with  the 
Greeks  (8). 

vi.  In  the  last  class  are  included  the  churches  of  the 
British  Baptists,  and  those  of  Poland,  Lithuania,  Tran- 
sylvania, America,  and  many  more,  which,  however  di- 
versified in  speculation  and  the  practice  of  positive  rites, 
all  hold  that  dipping  in  water  and  a  personal  profession 
of  faith  and  repentance  are  essential  to  baptism  (9).  On 
the  first  of  these  principles  they  disallow  sprinkling  :  on 
the  last  they  reject  infants.  Not  one  of  these  churches 
holds  two  baptisms  :  not  one  of  them  ever  repeats  bap- 
tism. If  it  be  said,  they  dip  in  mature  age,  those  who 
had  been  sprinkled  or  "dipped  in  infancy,  they  reply, 
sprinklin,^  is  not  baptizing,  and  dipping  a  rational  being 
without  liis  consent  is  not  baptism.  They  strenuously 
decry  a  repetition  of  baptism,  and  when  any  one  calls 
them  Anabaptists,  they  always  understand  it  as  the 
language  either  of  ignorance  or  malice  (l). 

Dr.  Wall,  the  champion  of  infant-baptism,  was  aware 
of  the  impropriety  of  this  name,  Anabaptist,  and  he 
wrote  against  these  people  under  the  name  of  Anti- 
pedobap'tists,  that  is,  opposers  of  the  baptism  of 
children  :  but,  as  many  have  observed,  the  term  is  de- 
fective and  improper,  for  these  people  are  Antipedo- 
baptists  in  common  with  many  other  classes  of  men, 
and  particularly  with  the  people  called  Quakers,  many 
Socinians,  and  others,  who  administer  no  baptism  at  all 
(2).     Moreover  they  are  anti-sprinklers,  and  think  the 

(7)  Hieremix  Cmstantinop.  Patriarchs  at  Witttnberg.  Theol.Fesponsio  ii.  4. 
Baptizabant  enim  veteres,  non  manibus  suis  aquam  baptizando  adsper- 
senfes  •  sed  trina  immcrsione  hoc  evangelii  sequentes  :  ascendit  ex  aqua. 

Enro  descenderat.     Ecce  immersio  :  non  adspersio. Vide  Euchologion 

..Menologia--Rit.  Graec. 

(8)  Monni  De  ordinationibus.  Par.  iii.  Exerc.  v.  ..._,. 

(9)  Carechesis  Ecclesiarum  Polonicariim,  Sect.  \\.  Cap.  in.I)ebapttsnto 
aguJ.     Numquid   ad   eum   ritiim   infantes  pertinent  ?  ...  Ad  infantes  non 

pertinet Q-iid   vero  de  iis  sentiendum    est,    qui   infantes   baptizant  ? 

Non  vecte  dicis  eos  infantes  baptizare.     Non  enim  baptizant,  quod  sine 

lotiiis  corporis  in  aquam  immersione  et  ablutione  fieri  nequit. Thomas 

CiO!-by's  History  cf  the  Baptists,  Vol.  iii.  Append,  i.  cxxtx. 

(1)  Find' cite  Unitarioriim.  r   i     tt-  

(2)  Dr.  Wall's  History  of  Infant  Baptism. Defence  of  the  i*'^!°''yi~rr 

Gale's  Refections  on  Wail's  History Crosby's  History.    Preface  to  Vol.  i. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  417 

baptism  of  adults  by  pomi  ig  or  sprinkling  invaDd. 
The  Doctor  thought,  to  call  them  B  iptists  would  imply 
a  reproach  on  other  Chii^tiaiis  :  but  they  reply,  God 
forbid  we  should  reproach  any  body  of  Christians  ! 
But  what  ?  If  some  rnen  call  tht  niselves  Christians, 
does  that  imply  that  other  deuominatious  are  not  Chris- 
tians ?  In  France  it  is  deemed  unpolite  to  wish  a  person 
a  happy  new  year,  because  such  a  wish  implies  a  possi- 
bility of  the  year  proving  unhappy  (3).  There  is  no 
accounting  for  the  habits  and  prejudices  of  mankind. 
Certain  it  is,  many  of  these  churches  are  so  Far  from  re- 
proaching Christians,  who  are  conscientiously  satisfied 
with  their  infant  baptism,  that  they  admit  such  to  be- 
come members  of  their  community,  on  a  principle  of 
Christian  liberty  (4). 

The  Difficulty  of  writing   an   History  of  a 
People  so  diversified. 

There  is,  it  should  seem,  something  so  very  inoffen- 
sive in  itself,  and  so  perfecdy  indirierent  to  society,  in  a 
man's  being  rebaptized,  that,  if  baptism  were  repeated 
every  month,  as  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  supper 
is,  no  serious  consequences,  except  to  the  person  him- 
self, could  follow.  It  must,  therefore,  at  first  sight,  ap- 
pear as  a  singular  phenomenon,  in  the  history  of  this 
people,  that  they  should  be  described  by  many  celebrat- 
ed writers  as  a  dangerous  set  of  men,  justly  proscribed 
in  one  state,  banished  from  another,  burnt  in  a  third, 
drowned  in  a  fourth,  and  allowed  to  live  in  any  only  as 
a  favour.  There  must  be  something  mpre  than  bap- 
tism in  this  affair. 

Many  writers  have  given  themselves  the  trouble  to 
inform  the  world  what  this  something  more  is  :  but 
there  are  three  sorts,  who  have  not  succeeded,  annalists, 
theorists,  and  disciplinarians.  An  annalist  makes  out 
a  catalogue  of  those  in  all  ages,  who  have  rebaptized, 
and,  if  it  be  any  tl.ing  like  a  fair  one,  it  begins  with  Ter- 
tullian,  St.  Cyprian,  the  Novatians  and  Donatists  of  Af- 
rica ;  it  proceeds  with  Firmilian  and  the  Asiaticks,  and 

(3)  Le'.tersfrom  Italy^  by  an  English  Woman.  London.  1776.  Vol.  ii. 
Letter  xxx. 

(4)  Vindiciae  Unitar. 

53 


418  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

takes  in  the  council  of  Nice ;  it  goes  on  with  Novatus 
and  the  Italians,  and  all  others  in  Europe,  Bohemians, 
Poles,  Britons,  French,  German,  Swiss,  Dutch,  and  it 
ends  with  the  Americans.  Of"  all  these  he  makes  one 
regular  body  of  rebaptizers,  and  to  credit  him  would 
lead  a  reader  to  believe  that  St.  Cyprian  of  Carthage, 
and  the  three  hundred  and  eighteen  bishops  of  the  coun- 
cil of  Nice,  were  exactly  such  men  as  John  Bunyan, 
Tinker  of  Bedford,  for  all  held  rebaptization.  A  theo- 
rist, orthodox  or  heterodox,  succeeds  no  better.  He 
either  begins  with  Arius,  Socinus,  or  Servetus,  and 
ends  with  Dr.  James  Foster  :  or  with  Menno,  and  ends 
with  the  Particular  English  Baptists.  A  disciplinarian 
always  sets  out  with  Nicholas  Stork,  or  Thomas  Mun- 
stcr,  takes  in  some  naked  Anabaptists  at  Amsterdam, 
and  concludes  with  a  compliment  to  the  modern  Bap- 
tists for  having  seen  into  the  errors  of  their  ancestors, 
and  behaved  with  propriety  for  several  years  last  past, 
like  a  very  good  sort  of  men. 

It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  write  the  history  of  a  body 
of  people,  especially  of  such  a  body  as  this.  Natives  of 
all  ages,  and  all  countries,  with  education  and  without 
it,  rude  and  refined,  living  in  different  habits  and  cus- 
toms, subjects  of  different  governments,  here  protected, 
and  there  plundered  and  driven  to  madness,  having  for 
ages  no  local  legal  settlement,  entertaining  different  no- 
tions of  government,  learning,  and  religion  itself,  divid- 
ed in  opinion  about  every  speculation  of  theology,  as 
all  other  denominations  are,  of  different  languages,  and 
without  any  common  standard  of  belief,  agreeing  in 
nothing,  except  three  or  four  articles  necessarily  con- 
nected with  adult  baptism  :  How  is  it  possible  to  give  a 
true  account  of  all  these  people  under  one  general  name 
of  Anabaptists  ?  Their  history  must  be  divided  and 
subdivided,  and  it  must  be  shewn  wherein  they  differ, 
and  in  what  they  agree.  Two  or  three  such  confused 
writers,  as  were  just  now  mentioned,  have  misled  many 
other  writers,  much  wiser  and  better  than  themselves 
(5).     Some  were  in  other  respects  men  of  learning  and 

(5)  Jo.  Henrici   Ottii  Annales.  Anabapt.     Basil.   1682. Fred.   S^2in- 

\\^Kf(\\ Di atriben  de  origiiie,  progressu.ljfc.  Anabaptistarum Ezechiel.  Span- 

heJTiii  Eltnchits M.  Lutheri  advert,  ccetestes  prophetas,  -Tom.  iii. -Jo. 

Cloppenlnirg'ii   Gangrxna    Theoiugice  Anabnptisticce. Phil.  Melanchtonis 

refutat.  erroiis  Sernett  et  Anabaptistarum,  cum  multis  aliis. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  419 

merit :  but  utter  strangers  to  the  general  history,  which 
they  pretended  to  give.       Mr.    Arnoldi  (6),  and  Dr. 
Schyn(7),  have  proved  by  irrefragable  evidence  from 
state  papers,  public  confessions  of  faith,  and  authentick 
books,  that  Ezechiel  and  Frederick  Spanheim,  Heideg- 
ger, Hoffman,  and  others,  have  given  a  fabulous  account 
of  the  history  of  the  Dutch  Baptists,  and  that  the  young- 
er  Spanheim   had   taxed   them   with   holding   thirteen 
heresies,  of  all  which  not  a  single  society  of  them  be- 
lieved one  word  ;  yet  later  historians  quote  these  writ- 
ers as  devoutly  as  if  all  they  had  affirmed  were  undisput- 
ed and  allowed  to  be  true.     That  learned  critick,  Father 
Simon,  passed  a  most  severe,  but  a  very  just  censure 
on  the  same  Spanheim,  for  the  many  false  tales  which  in 
the  same  book  he  had  told  of  the  Eastern  Christians  (8), 
It  is  diverting  to  see  historians  on  the  continent  quote 
an  obscure  scribbler  in  England  in  evidence  of  what 
was  done  an  hundred  and  fifty  years  before,  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  places  where  these  foreign  historians  them- 
selves lived.     They  have  done  this  honour,  in  the  most 
pompous  manner,  to  one  Ephraim  Pagitt  (9).    Ephraim 
Pagitt  !     Who  was  this  Ephraim  Pagitt,  a  name  never 
heard  of  among  learned  men  ?    This  old  man  was  min- 
ister of  a  parish  in  London,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  i. 
Not  having  so  much  prudence  as  the  late  Mr.  Quin, 
(to  use  Quill's  words)  the  old  man  kept  whistling  Fal- 
staff  in  publick  after  he  had  lost  his  teeth.     His  parish- 
ioners were  tired  and  left  him,   and  went  to  hear  the 
Sectaries,  as  he  calls  them.     This  made  him  go  mad. 
He  taxed  his  people  with  heresy  and  schism,  and  he 
had  not  the  prudence  to  avail  himself  of  the  wise  advice, 
which  Bishop  Bancroft  ga^e  one  of  his  neighbouring 
ministers  in  a  like  case.     This  minister  had  been  to 
consult  his  lordship  what  to  do  in  a  very  difficult  case  in 
his  parish.       One  of  his  parishioners,    named  Jacob, 
would  sit  at  receiving  the  sacrament.     He  had  preached 
to  him,  and  prayed  for  him,  and  cried  for  grief,  and  had 
threatened  him,  but  all  would  not  do,  Jacob  would  not 
kneel.        What   would   become   of  the   church,    what 

(6)  Rngel   Arentzoon  van   Dooregeest   Send  Schreiben  an  den  Henn.  Frid 
Spanheniiui,  ijfc   lii94. 

(7)  Heimanni  Schyn  ut  sup.  prafat. 

(8)  Richardi  Simonis  Bihliot    Crit.  Tom.  i.   Cap.  xxii.  pag.  326. 

(9)  Ephraimi  Pagitti  Hceresiographia,  Londini.  1645. 


420  OF     ANABAPTISM. 

should  he  do  ?  Go  home,  said  his  lordship,  and  be  quiet, 
and  league  the  matter  to  the  chttrch-warden.  Pagitt 
knew  this,  but  he  did  not  relish  it,  so  he  dievv  up  a  vol- 
nnit  of  all  the  false  and  filthy  tales  about  town,  and 
added  a  list  of  heresies,  and  half  heresies,  and  present- 
ed it  to  the  Lord-Mayor,  luimbly  hoping  that  the  par- 
liament would  suppress  the  blasphemous  Anabaptists, 
for  in  other  countries  "  Christian  princes  and  magis- 
trates had  never  left  burning,  drowning,  and  destroying 
them  till  their  remainder  was  contemptible.  Pontanus 
said,  tliey  abroad  had  destroyed  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousa'd  persons,  and  he  hoptd  the  house  v^ould  sup- 
press them  here."  This  is  the  hercsiograpliy,  which 
German  writers  quote  in  proof  of  what  was  do»  e  at 
Munster  in  Germany,  though  of  all  the  contemptible 
authors  of  those  times,  Ephraim  Pagitt  is  undoubtedly 
the  first  in  ignorance,  intolerance,  and  falsehood  (i). 

ALT,  BAPTISTS,  HOWEVER  DIVERSIFIED,  AGREE  IN 
HOLDING  Vl^HAT  ARE  CALLED  AN  AB  A  PTIST  IC  AL 
ERRORS. 

Leaving  all  such  writers  to  suffer  or  to  enjoy  their 
o\v»i  reveries,  and  private  piques,  at  their  own  discretion, 
it  is  pro]>er  to  go  on  to  opponents  worth  answering,  for 
it  nnist  be  allowed,  English  Anabaptism  is  connected 
with  what  are  called  arabaptistical  errors  ;  and  it  would 
be  a  vain  undertaking  to  attempt  to  deny  or  disprove 
facts,  which  no  less  than  five  respectable  classes  of  men 
have  always  objected  against  them.  Every  writer,  who 
knew  what  he  was  jbout,  from  the  days  of  the  Donatists 
and  the  Ace',/hali(2),  to  the  present  time  (3),  hath  di- 
rected his  main  force  against  these  anabaptisiical  errors, 
in  comparison  with  which  rebaptiziiig  is  not  worth  a 
moment's  attention.  The  baptism  of  an  adult  is  of  no 
consequence  at  all  but  as  it  is  connected  with  these  er- 

(1)  Heresiography,  or  a  description  of  tlie  hereticks  and  sectaries  of 
these  latter  times.     By  E   P.  London.  1645.  4to.  page  131. 

(  ■)  iviennae  patriarchse  Constuntinop.  Sententia  contra  Severum,  Pe- 
tnir.i  et  Zoaram.  concil.  Constantinop.  Actio,  v.  An.  536. 

(.">)  Heylin's  Hist.  Presbyt.  p.  242.  Form  of  recantation  prescribed  to 
certain  Anabaptists,  an.  1575.  Wlieras  I,  N.  N.  being  seduced  by  the 
spi'it  ')f error,  and  by  false  teacliers  his  ministers,    have   fallen  into  many 

da-.nnal.le  and  detestable    hei-esies now    by  ihe  grace  of  God 1  sub- 

mit  myself,  utterly  abandoning  .nnd  forsaking  all  and  every  anabaptical 
error . 


OF     ANABATTTSM.  421 

rors :  and  if  these  errors  be  disproved,  adult  baptism 
falls  of  itself.  It  is  therefore  absolutely  recessary  to 
gi\'e  a  sketch  of  this  heart  of  the  history  of  the  Baptists. 

History  is  a  ruonument  erected  for  posterity,  and  sa- 
cred to  truth,  and  a  reverential  awe  for  what  appears  to 
be  true  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  suHicient  apology 
for  any  man's  stating  a  case  differently  from  what  it  may 
appear  to  others.  Several  respectable  bodies  of  men 
have  taxed  the  Baptists  with  holding  m.any  dangerous 
errors.  These  errors  are  properly  reducible  to  five 
heads,  and  from  these  as  from  so  many  springs,  all  other 
small  articles  like  rivulets  proceed.  Some  Baptists,  too 
hastily  it  should  seem,  have  disowned  these  errors 
in  the  gross,  but  it  is  impossible  to  disprove  the  exist- 
ence of  them  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  are  the  bases  and 
bonds  of  their  societies.  Here  it  is  that  their  history  be- 
comes of  consequence  ;  for  if  the  practice  of  rebaptizing 
naturally  and  necessarily  includes  these  errors,  the  bap- 
tism of  an  adult  is  not  such  a  futile  unconnected  thing 
as  some  have  imagined,  and  there  is  great  reason  to  ex* 
pect  objections  against  it. 

A  few  outlines  shall  suffice,  and  two  previous  remarks 
are  necessary  to  them.  It  was  said,  son^e  time  ago,  that 
the  established  church  in  the  council  of  Nice  ordered 
some  to  be  rebaptized  :  but  they  soon  after  discovered 
that  the  baptism  of  adults  was  connected  with  some 
other  ar^cles  dangerous  to  their  system  :  they  therefore 
forbade  rebaptizing,  and  have  held  it  in  abhorrence  ever 
since.  Sf)  extremely  cautious  hath  the  Catholick  church 
been  in  this  affair,  that  infant  baptism,  performed  by  any 
body,  was  allowed  valid,  and  cain  the  se  of  an  infant  de- 
serted by  its  parents,  and  found  in  the  street,  the  priest 
was  directed  to  dip  the  child  with  these  words  (4).  Pe- 
ter, I  do  not  intend  to  rebaptize  thee :  but  if  thou  hast 
rot  been  baptized,  1  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  2dly,  that  it  is  not  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, dippipgorsprinkling,thathathexcitedtheresentment 
of  the  opponenlsof  the  Baptists,  for  such  as  baptized  adults 
by  sprinkling  have  been  as  much  involved  in  the  scandal 
of  holding  anabaptistical  errors  as   others,  who  practise 

(4)  Wilkin.  Concilia.  Vol.  ii.  An.  1287.  Synod.  Exoniens.  Cap,  ii.  De 
Baptismo. 


422  OF    AMABAPTISM. 

dipping.  It  is  the  baptism  of  an  adult  precisely, 
that  tonus  the  grand  objection,  and  this  it  is,  which  is 
connected  with  the  errors  charged  upon  Anabaptism. 
As  these  errors  cannot  be  denied  in  regard  to  such 
Baptists,  let  five  opponents  state  their  objections  them- 
selves. 

Magistracy. 

The  first  is  a  statesman,  who,  in  behalf  of  emperors, 
kings,  princes,  barons,  burgomasters,  and  civil  rulers 
of  every  description,  objects,  That  the  Anabaptists  af- 
firm "a  Christian  ought  not  to  execute  the  offices  of 
magistrates,  an  error  teeming  with  sedition  (5)."  It 
would  be  trifling  to  reply,  Adult  baptism  hath  no  con- 
nection with  the  subject  of  governnjent.  It  hath  a  close 
connection  with  it.  An  infout  is  baptized  by  order  of 
authority :  but  if  when  he  grows  up  he  be  rebaptized 
he  praciically  rejects  the  order,  and  the  power  from 
which  it  proceeded,  and  consequently  the  baptism  of  an 
adult  is  connected  with  government,  and  the  baptized, 
disowns  all  government  in  this  matter  of  conscience,  ex- 
cept his  own.  This  man  will  not  baptize  his  son,  and 
a  person  brought  up  without  baptism,  is  left  in  a  condi- 
tion o\  freedom  to  dispose  of  himself  as  he  thinks  right. 
Such  a  state  implies  liberty  to  examine  religion,  to  rea- 
son about  it,  to  reject  or  to  embrace  it  by  being  baptiz- 
ed into  what  belief  and  profession  a  man  judges  proper. 
There  is,  therefore,  an  inseparable  union  bet^veen  adult 
baptism  and  civil  liberty,  and  in  this  great  principle  all 
Baptists  every  where  agree.  The  old  Donatisrs  used  to 
say,  "What  have  we  to  do  with  the  Emperor?  What 
business  hath  the  Emperor  with  our  religion  ?  What 
have  bishops  to  do  at  court  (6)?"  When  in  any  age 
Baptists  appear  in  despotical  governments,  they  are  seen 
struggling  for  liberty,  and  the  end  of  the  struggle  is 
burning,  banishment,  or  freedom.  They  cannot  live  in 
tyrannical  states,  and  free  countries  are  the  only  places  to 
seek  for  them,  for  their  whole  publick  religion  is  imprac- 

(5)  Heylin  as  above. 

(6)  Fr  Baldiiini  Annotat.  in  optatnm.  p.  171.  Qu'd  chrlstlanis  cum  re- 
gibus  ?  Qiiid  episcopis  cum  palutio?  Qiiid  est  iitiperatori  cum  ecclesia? 
Qiiid  mihi  est  imperatori  ?  Qiiid  nobis  cum  regibus  sjeculi,  quos  nunquam 
christianitas  nisi  invidos  sensit. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  4^j 

ticable  without  freedom.  They  differ  as  other  denom- 
inations do,  about  the  best  means  of  obtaining  and  pre- 
serving hberty.  The  English  Baptists  approve  of  a 
limited  -monarchy,  the  Dutch  of  a  repubUck,  the  Poles 
of  a  government  nearly  aristocratical.  The  English  Bap- 
tists think,  it  is  lawful  for  the  members  of  their  church- 
es to  execute  the  office  of  a  magistrate,  provided  it  be 
not  clogged  with  religious  tests  (7).  The  Dutch,  the 
Swiss,  and  the  Moravian  Baptists,  execute  no  offices, 
take  no  oaths,  bear  no  arms,  shed  no  human  blood,  and 
in  civil  cases  resist  not  government  (8).  The  old  Ger- 
man Baptists  fought  for  liberty,  so  did  many  in  Oliver's 
army  here  in  England,  and  the  only  principle,  in  which 
they  all  agree,  is,  that  the  civil  magistrate  hath  no  right 
to  give  or  enforce  law  in  matters  of  religion  and  con- 
science. Whether  this  be  an  anabaptistical  error,  or  a 
first  principle  of  good  government,  must  be  left  with  the 
Miltons,  and  the  Lockes,  and  Montesquies,  and  Becca- 
rias  to  determine. 

Learning. 

The  second  opponent  appears  in  behalf  of  the  literati, 
and  he  affirms.  It  is  an  anabaptistical  error  to  prefer  il- 
literacy before  learning,  and  set  aside  the  latter  as  des- 
tructive of  religion.  Various  are  the  sentiments,  which 
Baptists  entertain  on  this  subject :  but  it  must  be  grant- 
ed, there  is  one  general  principle,  in  which  they  all 
agree,  and  which  is  necessarily  connected  with  a  per- 
sonal profession  of  believing  the  truth  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. An  infant  asks  no  questions,  he  may  therefore 
be  baptized  into  a  profession  of  believing  any  thing, 
even  mysteries  :  but  mystical  theology  will  meet  with  a 
very  cold  reception  among  sensible  inquisitive  candi- 
dates for  baptism.  They  will  require  proof  of  every 
article,  and  consequently  both  they  and  their  teachers 
will  be  led  to  consider  what  converts  revealed  religion 
into  a  secret ;  what  was  the  original  character  of  Chris- 
tianity, simplicity  or  obsurity ;  what  keeps  a  religion 
intended  for  every  body  a  secret  from  any  body  ?  The 
Baptists  are  compelled  by  the  very  constitution  of  their 

(7)  Crosby  Vol.  iii.  Append  N.  n.  Art.  xxiv.  It  is  lawful  for  Christians 
to  accept,  iiiid  execute  the  offices  of  magistrates,  &c. 

(8)  H.  Schyn.  ut  sup.  Art.  xxxvii.  De  officio  Magistratus  politici. 


424  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

churches  to  simplify  the  gospel,  to  strip  It  of  false  orna- 
ments, and  to  render  it  intelligible  to  youth  and  poor  plain 
men  and  women,  by  proving  it  the  most  easy,  the  most 
evident,  the  most  artless,  and  therefore  the  only  popular 
and  practical)le  religion  in  the  world.  In  a  course  of  ex- 
periments they  found,  that  Pagan  literature  had  pervert- 
ed the  gospel,  that  Christianity  was  not  a  learned  science, 
that  the  world  had  been  imposed  on  by  an  unprofitable 
polymathy,  and  ought  to  be  disabused.  They  differ 
very  much  in  their  application  of  this  doctrine  :  but  the 
general  principle  runs  through  all  their  history,  and  is 
most  remarkable  in  their  schools  and  colleges,  \\  here 
literature  is  best  understood,  as  their  university  at  Racow 
in  Poland  hath  proved.  The  Baptists  are  not  alone  in 
refusing  Plato  and  other  Paga;  ;s  the  honour  of  expound- 
ing the  inspired  writers.  The  Jews  forbade  the  tutors  of 
their  children  to  instruct  them  in  Pagan  literature  (9). 
The  pretended  apostolical  canons,  wiiich,  though  not 
apostolical,  are  of  some  considerable  antiquity,  forbade 
Christians  the  study  of  Pagan  books  (1).  Jerom  pre- 
tends, he  was  reproved  by  an  angel  for  studying  Cicero 
(2).  The  fathers  guarded  and  qualified  the  reading  of 
pagan  writers  (3) ;  and  Erasmus,  and  many  moderns 
complain  of  the  Paganism,  which  some  admirers  of  Gen- 
tile literature  have  mixed  with  Christianit)  (4).  RoUin, 
and  many  Catholicks  lament  it,  and  Protestants  do  so 
much  more  (5).  All  this  is  to  be  understood  of  Pagan 
literature  only  as  it  afl'ects  religion ;  for  in  otiier  resjiects 
the  Baptists,  as  their  history  proves,  hold  all  branches 
of  science  in  a  just  and  proper  esteem.  The  works  of  the 
Fratres  Poloni  afford  a  case  in  point. 

Clerical  Authority. 

The  third  is  a  deputy  from  the  clergy,  and  he  com- 
plains, That  the  one  anabaptistical  error  of  rejecting 
all  clerical  authority  is  the  cause  of  a  thousand  heresies, 
schisms,  divisions,  and  scandals.  There  is  a  great 
variety  of  opinions  among  the  Baptists  on  this  subject : 

(9)  Mlsnah  Sotah.  Cap.  ix.  Num.  xlv. 

(1)  Joan.  Bapt.  Cotelerii.  Apost.  Can.  Lib.  i.  Cap,  vi. 

(2)  Buddei  Isagoge.  Lib.  i.  Cap  iv. 

(3)  Basil,  ad  Adolescentes  homilia Augustiiii  de  'Boctrin.  Christiana, 

Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xl 

(4)  Eiasmi  Epist.  Lib.  xxix.  Ep.  21.  (5)  Rollin  Belies  Leure:. 


OF    ANABAPTISM,  425 

but,  as  before,  there  is  one  general  principle  in  which 
they  all  agree,  from  which  their  variet}  prDceeds  and 
which,  it  cannot  be  denied,  is  a  bi.ttom  of  truth,  on 
which  the  charge  is  founded.  By  requiri  g  every  indi- 
vidual to  judge  for  himself,  as  a  qualification  for  com- 
munion with  them,  by  giving  each  the  holy  scripture  as 
the  only  and  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  by 
holding  themselves  all  competent  to  judge  of  the  nature 
and  evidences  of  the  gospel,  by  affirming  that  ihey  are 
accountable  only  to  God  for  the  use  they  make  of  their 
reason,  and  that  every  man.  who  hath  a  talent  is  obliged 
to  make  use  of  it,  they  reduce  a  priest  to  a  mere  tutor, 
and  so  effi^ctually  subvert  ail  clerical  authority.  Various 
as  they  are,  they  all  unite  here.  The  Moravian  Baptists 
had  no  regularly  ordained  ministers,  the  order  was  not 
known  amorsg  them,  they  met  as  the  people  called 
Quakers  meet,  and  any  who  cou'd,  even  women  gave 
instruction  (6).  The  American  Baptists  elect  teachers 
of  their  own,  and  regularly  instal  them  in  office,  as  they 
call  it  (7)  :  but  they  refuse  to  pay  taxes  to  support  other 
ministers,  and  they  urge  the  gi^at  principle  of  the  Amer- 
ican struggle,  they  are  not  represented.  The  Polish 
Baptists  ordained  in  their  synods  (  ).  The  English 
and  Dutch  Baptists  elect  their  own  teachers,  and  when 
they  please  dismiss  them.  In  some  congregations  the 
people  ordain,  in  others  the  people  elect,  and  neighbour- 
ing ministers  ordain  by  laying  on  hands  and  prayer. 
Some  support  their  teachers  by  a  free  and  plentiful  sub- 
scription ;  others  are  too  poor  to  do  so,  and  their  teachers 
support  themselves  by  agriculture  or  trade  :  but  all  re- 
duce the  minister  to  a  mere  teacher,  and  allow  him  no 
authority  over  any  man's  conscience,  either  alone  or  in 
connection  with  other  ministers.  It  is  true,  having  no 
masters,  and  no  notion  of  a  power  lodged  any  where  to 
compel  uniformity,  they  part  into  innumerable  societies 
of  different  faith  and  practice  ('')  Some  are  Soci'iians, 
others  Arians, some  Trinitarians,  others  Arminians,  others 

(6)  Boherfai  fialbini  Miscel.  Regn.  Bnhem.  Tom.  v.  p.  225. 

(7)  i?e"».  Isaac  Backus's   History  of  Nevj- England  Baptists. 
f8)  Rev    Mr  Toulmin's  Life  of  Sociniis. 

(9)  Buddei  Isagoge.  Lib.  poster  Cap.  vii.  p.  1362  De  theologia 
^okmica  -  -  Lud.  a  Paramo.  De  origine  Sanct.  inquisitionis.  Lib.  ii. 
Tit.  ill.  Cap.  vii. 

54 


426  Of    ANABAPTISM. 

Calvinists :  and  others,  as  the  Moravians,  and  most  of 
the  ancient  Baptists,  place  religion  in  virtue  more  than 
in  faith.  All  of  them  reject  canon  law,  and  place  coun- 
cils, synods,  convocations,  kirk  sessions,  and  all  such 
tribunals,  along  with  a  history  of  the  inquisition. 
To  this  article  therefore  they  plead  guilty ;  and  having 
persevered  for  ages  in  this  error,  repentance  is  hid 
from  their  eyes. 

Enthusiasm. 

The  fourth  is  a  philosopher,  a  close  connected  reason- 
er,  embellished  with  all  the  lore  of  the  schools,  and 
adorned  with  the  benevolence  of  a  primitive  christian. 
He  says.  The  anabaptistical  error  of  the  influence  of 
the  Spirit  is  a  source  of  enthusiasm.  Be  it  for  a  mo- 
ment admitted,  that  the  Baptists  are  enthusiasts,  but 
that  they  are  willing  to  be  taught  the  reason  and  fitness 
of  things,  and  for  this  purpose  to  attend  that  very  philo- 
sophical experiment,  the  baptism  of  a  new  born  infant. 
Is  it  the  conveyance  of  holiness  into  water  ?  Is  it  the  ex- 
sufflation  of  Satan  driving  him  out  of  the  child  ?  Is  it 
the  washing  away  of  original  sin  ?  Is  it  the  tender  of 
a  contract  ?  Is  it  a  wise  man  putting  questions  to  a  baby 
at  the  breast,  who  can  neither  hear,  see,  speak,  or  think  ? 
Is  it  the  conveyance  of  spirit,  and  grace,  and  new  birth  ? 
Is  this  a  school  for  the  cure  of  an  enthusiast  ?  The  bap- 
tism of  a  believer,  embracing  Christianity  because  he 
hath  examined  and  approved  of  it,  is  the  first  step  of  the 
Baptist  churches,  and  a  perfectly  philosophical  one  it  is. 
However,  this  objection  deserves  a  direct  answer,  and 
there  are  four  observations  worth  making. 

i.  The  first  is,  that  enthusiasm  is  a  vague  term,  and 
every  degree  of  zeal  in  religion  above  common  experi- 
ence is  not  enthusiasm.  Some  times,  some  places, 
some  circumstances  require  extraordinary  efforts,  and 
the  first  enterprizers  in  every  thing  were  a  daring 
sort  of  men.  To  claim  the  birthrights  of  men, 
and  the  benefits  of  Christians  in  some  dark  periods, 
required  uncommon  animation  ;  and  to  such  efforts  the 
present  age  owes  its  liberty  to  philosophize.  WicklifF 
and  Knox  have  been  reputed  enthusiasts,  so  have  the 
first  Baptists,  and  for  the  same  reasons.  '  Let  all  stand 
acquitted.     AH  procured  great  good  for  posterity. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  427 

il.  Secondly,  let  it  be  observed,  that  if  any  Baptists 
be  enthusiasts,  they  derive  it  not  from  baptism,  which 
proceeds,  on  a  cool,  rational,  deliberate  exercise  of 
thought,  and  is  regulated  by  an  express  command  of 
scripture,  the  authenticity  of  which  all  Christians  allow : 
but  from  some  other  notions,  which  they  were  taught 
in  the  Paedobaptist  school,  and  which  produce  more  en- 
thusiasts in  other  communities  than  in  theirs,  and  par- 
ticularly in  the  church  of  Rome. 

iii.  Thirdly,  the  Baptists  publickly  disavow  enthu- 
siasm by  making  the  written  word  of  God  the  sole  rule 
of  their  faith  and  practice,  and  most  think,  the  doctrine 
of  divine  influence  without  the  written  word  was  the 
parent,  and  is  the  nurse  of  Popery  (1). 

iv.  Lastly,  modern  philosophers  will  not  venture  to 
tax  the  Polish  brethren,  both  theirs  and  the  Baptists, 
with  enthusiasm.  Were  Castellio  and  Servetus,  Socinus 
and  Crellius,  enthusiasts  (2)  ?  On  the  contrary,  they 
are  taxed  with  attributing  too  much  to  reason,  and  the 
sufficiency  of  reason  is  the  soul  of  their  system. 

Purity  of  Churches. 

The  last,  but  not  the  least  respectable  complainant  is 
a  representative  of  the  people,  who  affirms,  That  the 
great  anabaptistical  error,  on  which  their  whole  econ- 
omy is  built,  is  chimerical  and  cruel,  that  is,  that  the 
Christian  church  ought  to  consist  of  only  wise  and  vir- 
tuous persons.  It  is  truly  said,  this  is  the  article,  from 
which  all  their  other  principles  and  practices  proceed. 
It  is  for  the  sake  of  this  that  adult  baptism  is  practised, 
and  it  is  to  preserve  this  that  infants,  who  at  best  are 
doubtful  characters,  are  excluded. 

This  charge  is  of  considerable  magnitude,  for  it  in- 
cludes many  articles  :  it  is  objected  by  many  writers  of 
great  and  deserved  character,  and  it  is  confessed  by  the 
modern  Baptists,  to  be  what  their  opponents  affirm,  the 
true  source  of  all  the  peculiarities  that  are  to  be  found 
in  the  religious  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Waldenses, 
the  Wickliffites,  the  Hussites,  the  Baptists,  and  many 
more,  who,  before  the  dawn  of  the  reformation,  held 

(1)  H  Schyn  Hist,  ut  sup.  Cap.  xi. 

(2)  Joan.  Crellii  Ethic.     Christian. 


428  Gi    AN  A  BAPTISM. 

the  same  principle,  and  wQve  remarkable  for  the  same 
peculiarities.  Thebe  are  nearly  the  woids  of  iJr.  Mo- 
sheim(3).  It  would  not  be  fair  to  pa->s  ovei  this  arucle 
ligtitly.  It  ought  to  be  bottomed,  tud  with  this  view 
the  subject  must  be  parted  and  subdivided  as  tar  as  it 
regards  nistoiy.  A  superficial  reader  of  history  resem- 
bles a  traveller,  who  rides  post,  ten  miles  an  hour,  shut 
up  in  a  carriage,  through  ihe  glasses  of  uhicli  he 
glances  at  landscapes,  and  forms  ideas  of  men  and  man- 
ners. A  reader,  who  thinks  it  worth  while  to  investi- 
gate a  subject  thoroughly,  is  a  very  different  characier. 
He  resembles  the  grave  disinterested  judge  in  a  court, 
who  sits,  deaf  to  the  tumult  of  the  crowd,  who  buz  and 
know  nothing  ;  blind  to  the  glare  and  the  leer  of  office, 
■which  is  all  of  course  ;  insensible  to  the  holiday  dress 
of  eloquence  ;  and  attentive  to  nothing  but  facts  and 
evidence,  and  the  law  of  the  case.  The  present  ques- 
tion ought  to  be  in\estigated  in  this  manner  :  and  lest 
any  one  should  suppose  himself  despised,  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  take  a  cursory  view  of  the  three  orders  just 
now  mentioned,  the  crowd,  the  officialty,  and  the 
orators. 

i.  The  populace,  who  drink  healths,  and  swear  and 
fight  for  the  truth,  as  it  is  in  fashion,  with  a  good  grace 
no  doubt,  have  sometimes  taken  up  the  cause  of  infants 
against  the  Baptists.  Whether  they  invented  it  over 
tlieir  cups,  or  whether  they  were  taught  by  their  guides, 
is  not  a  very  difficult  question.  There  were,  about  the 
year  sixteen  hundred  and  ninety,  two  neighbouring  dis- 
senting teachers  of  congregations  in  Wapping  :  Hercu- 
les Collins,  who  taught  a  Baptist  congregation  (4)  ;  and 
Francis  Mence,  who  taught  a  congregation  of  Inde- 
pendents (5).  Collins  published  a  book  of  reasons  for 
believer's-baptism,  in  which  he  observed,  among  other 
things,  that  there  was  no  reason  to  baptize  an  infant  un- 
der pretence  of  saving  him,  for  that  original  sin  was 
not  washed  off  by  baptismal  water,  but  by  the  blood 
of  Christ,   and  the   imputation  of  his   righteousness. 

(S)  Moshelm's  Ecclesiastical  History,  Vol.  iv.  Cent,  xvi.  Sect.  iii. 
Part  ii, 

(4)  Hercules  Collins.  Sandy  foundation  of  infant-baptism  shaken,  pre- 
faced by  Richard  Claridge Truth  and  innocency  vindicated,  by  the  same. 

London    1695. 

(5)  Francis  Mence.  Vindiciae  fcederii—-— Deceit  and  falsehood  detetted, 
by  the  same. 


OF    ANABATTISM.  429 

Mence  thought  it  his  duty  to  guard  his  congregation 
against  this  error,  and  he  both  preached  and  pruited 
that  this,  was  "  infant-damning  doctrine.  The  principle, 
he  said,  evidently  excluded  dear  infants  from  the  king- 
dom of  God,  which  was  an  audacious  cruelty,  sending 
them  by  swarms  into  hell,  and  striking  darts  into  the 
hearts  of  both  parents  and  children."  In  vain  Collins 
explained  himself  and  justified  his  doctrine  in  a  cheap 
pampiilet,  "intended  for  the  information  and  satisfaction 
of  the  godly  about  Wapping  and  elsewhere."  The 
godly  about  Wapping  were  not  so  easily  satisfied ;  and 
he  went  a  great  while  in  danger  of  his  life,  the  streets 
resounding  with  the  cries  of  tender  mothers,  who  shriek- 
ed while  they  sold  fish,  there  goes  Collins  who  holds  the 
damnation  of  infants.  The  lower  sort  of  people  in  all 
Christian  countries  since  the  estabHshment  of  infant 
baptism,  have  always  discovered  a  violent  attachment 
to  it,  for  they  thought  it  was  doing  something,  and  their 
passions  have  been  ungenerously  roused  into  rage  a- 
gainst  such  as  denied  it  :  but  a  little  party  in  Denmark 
acted  most  consistently,  for  they  first  prepared  their  in- 
fants for  heaven  by  washing  away  all  their  original  sin 
in  baptism,  and  then  put  them  to  death,  lest  they 
should  lose  by  any  future  misconduct  the  precious 
privilege  of  being  saved  in  this  easy  way  (6).  People 
of  this  order  never  look  into  a  book  :  but  is  it  for  wise 
men  to  be  governed  by  their  vulgar  prejudices,  and  to 
feed  their  fury  by  cherishing  an  error  so  gross  ?  Is  it 
conceivable,  that  in  a  world  inhabited  by  nine  hundred 
millions  of  rational  creatures,  who  are  all  children  of  the 
same  beneficent  Parent,  the  eternal  destiny  of  any 
should  depend  on  the  precarious  application  of  a  few 
drops  of  water  to  their  faces  as  soon  as  they  are  born  ? 
How  would  this  accord  with  just  ideas  of  the  perfections 
of  God  ?  But,  passing  many  reflections  of  this  kind,  the 
history  of  the  case  is'this.  Against  all  outcries  of  this 
Sort,  the  Baptists  oppose  four  things.  First,  they  deny 
the  fact,  that  infants  do  derive  any  religious  benefit  from 
baptism.  Next,  they  affirm,  on  the  contrary,  that  a 
great  injury  is  done  them  by  it,  because  they  grow  up 
in  a  prejudice  that  they  are  Christians,  and  therefore 
never  examine  what  Christianity  is.     They  add,  thirdly, 

(6)  Voltaire  Traits  sur  la  tolerance.    Cap.  xvil'r. 


430  OF  ANABAPrisn. 

that  the  ordinances  of  Christianity  are  not  theirs,  but 
they  are  intrusted  by  the  divine  Legislator  with  the  use 
of  them,  and  they  ought  not  to  dispose  of  them  without 
a  direction  from  hiin,  and  they  say  he  hath  not  i»;iven 
them  any  order  in  Scripture  to  administer  the  ordinances 
of  his  religion  to  infants.  Moreover  they  observe, 
that,  though  this  sort  of  people  are  eager  to  profess  to 
believe  both  for  themselves  and  their  children,  yet  there 
is  great  reason  from  their  lives  to  doubt  thtir  si  .cerity. 

ii.   A  second  class  which  ought  to  be  heard  on  the 
same  side,  consists  of  all  such  as  offici.ite  in  this  lucra- 
tive business,  and  the  luuiiber  is  greater  than  it  appears 
at  first.     In  many  families  midwives  and   nurses  per- 
form their  offices  for  little  or  no  wages,   but  are  well 
piid  with  the  gifts  of  the  guests  at  the  christenings:  a 
custom   that   induces   some  himiane  gentry    to   attend 
christenings  in  families  of  slender  circumstaiices,  for  it  is 
a  genteel  method  of  payi  sg  the  chief  expenses  of  the  ly- 
ing-in.    In  Venice  "the  meanest  plebeian  hath  at  least 
three  Godfathers,   the  wealthy  have  twenty,  and  some- 
times above  a  hundred  (7).     The  gossips  all  crowd  to 
church  together,  among  whom  the  father  chooses  one  to 
name  the  child.     No  entertainment  is  made  after  the 
ceremony  as  in  most  other  countries,   but  four  sugar- 
loaves  are  generally  sent  to  each  gossip.     The  gossips 
range   themselves    in    a   semi-circular   form   from    the 
church   door  to   the   font,    and  at  the  christening  of  a 
tradesman's   child,    they   give   the   child   from    one   to 
another,  till  it  is  gone  quite  round."     In  all  Catholick 
countries  a  great  number,  beside  the  clergy,  have  an  in- 
terest direct  in  the  baptism  of  infants,  as  venders  of  wax 
tapers,  oil,  salt,  and  all  other  articles  of  daily  use  in  this  cer- 
emony.    All  these  complain  of  the  Baptists  for  attempting 
to  set  aside  a  practice  which  they  say  does  the  children 
no  harm,  and  does  them  a  deal  of  good :   to  which  the 
Baptists  reply,  religion  ought  not  to  be  made  a  trade ; 
such  parents,  whatever  they  may  pretend  about  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  creed,  and  faith,  and  regeneration,  only 
mean  to  train  up  their  children  to  trade  in  religion  as 
they  do:  but  argument  would  be  ill  directed  here,  for 
prejudice  in  favour  of  gainful  offices  is  a  thing  of  course. 

(7)  Picart's  Ceremonies  and  customs  of  all  countries.  Vol.  ii.  p.  70,  note. 


Of    ANABAPTISM.  431 

iii.  The  eloquence  of  the  pulpit,  like  that  of  the  bar, 
is  sometimes  the  chaste  ornament  of  truth,  at  other- 
times  the  n.ere  enamelling  of  error,  inlaying-  fiction 
with  glowing  colours,  to  give  that  a  gloss,  which  would 
otherv\ise  be  beheld  with  disgust.  Masters  of  this  art 
divide  it  into  four  parts  :  invention,  disposition,  elocu- 
tion, and  pronunciation.  Invention  finds  proper  argu- 
ments. Disposition  arranges  them  so  as  to  give  each 
its  due  force.  Elocution  adorns  tliem  with  tropcb,  fig- 
ures, and  fine  turns.  Pionunciation  supplies  utterance 
and  action.  Tiie  three  last  are  absurd  without  the  first, 
and  the  ground  of  all  eloquence  is  argument,  proper, 
substantial,  true  argument.  Arguments  in  favour  ol  in- 
fant baptism  are  taken  by  difl'erent  Christians  from  dif- 
ferent topicks.  Such  Roman  Cathoiicks  as  understand 
reasoning  argue  for  the  baptism  of  infants  from  the  au- 
thority of  the  church,  which  is  good  logick,  though  bad 
divinity  (8).  A  man  who  holds  himself  bound  by  canon 
law,  reasons  consequentially  when  he  says,  1  baptize  in- 
fants because  such  a  canon  orders  me  to  do  so.  This 
man's  business  is  to  defend  not  infant- baptism,  but  ca- 
non law.  It  is  not  he,  it  is  the  Protestant,  who  denies 
human  authority  over  conscience,  and  who  affirms  the 
sufficiency  of  scripture,  who  is  driven  to  the  neces- 
sity of  inventing  scripture  arguments,  for  in  vain  he  af- 
fects to  be  eloquent  among  Protestants  without  them. 
It  is  to  be  presumed,  if  there  were  any  one  chapter  pro- 
fessedly on  this  subject,  that  chapter  would  be  quoted : 
but  as  there  is  no  such  chapter,  arguments  must  be  ta- 
ken from  detached  sentences,  and  figures  of  speech,  and 
allusions.  Protestants  have  discovered  great  genius  in 
inventing  arguments,  and  to  some  Baptists  tiicy  seem  to 
reason  in  this  manner  (9).  It  is  written,  God  made  a 
covenant  with  Abraham  and  his  family  :  therefore  though 
it  is  not  written,  we  ought  to  believe  he  makes  a  cove- 
nant with  every  Chribiian  and  his  family.  God  settled  on 
Abraham  and  his  family  a  lar^e  landed  estate :  tlierefore 
he  gives  every  Christian  and  his  family  the  benefits  of 

(8)  Petavii  Opera.  Tom.  iii    De  Eedes.  Hierarchix.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  i.  6. 

(9)  hiilleng'eii    a<lvors.    Anabapt     Lib.  vi, —   Zuiiiglii  de  bi.plisnf>  Lib. 

contia  liiiLineyeruii' Joan.  Calvmi  Institui.  Lib.  iv'  Cap.  xvi Mieod 

Be/x  Coate>.s.    Cap     i\. —  Zacha'ise   Ui-sini    Be/.x    Defensio Miisculi 

loc.  com. MelancUionis  loc.  com.— —Dan,  Chamieri  Fanstratijc  Tom, 

iv.     De  iJaptiatno. 


432  OF    .-^M  ABAPTISM. 

the  Christian  reli2;ion.  God  commanded  Abraham  and  his 
family  to  circumcise  their  children:  thereforeall  professors 
of  ChristiaiHty  ought  without  a  command  not  to  circum- 
cise, but  to  baptize  their  children.  Jesus  said,  Suffer  little 
children  to  come  unto  me  :  therefore  infants  who  cannot 
come,  ought  to  be  carried,  not  to  Jesus,  but  to  a  minister, 
not  to  be  healed,  but  to  be  baptized.  Paul  advised 
married  believers  at  Corinth  not  to  divorce  their  unbe- 
heving  yoke-fellows,  lest  they  should  stain  the  reputation 
of  their  children  with  the  scandal  of  illegitimacy  :  there- 
fore infants,  legitimate  and  illegitimate,  ought  to  be  bap- 
tized. Adam  offended  God,  but  was  never  baptized  ; 
therefore  infants  who  have  not  offended  God  ought  to  be 
baptized.  A  man  of  30  years  of  age  says,  he  believes 
the  gospel :  therefore  his  neighbour's  infant  of  eight 
days  ought  to  be  baptized,  as  if  he  believed  the  gospel. 
Really  the  Baptists  ought  to  be  forgiven  for  not  having 
a  taste  for  this  sort  of  eloquence  :  yea,  they  ought  to  be 
applauded  for  preferring  argument  before  elocution. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  argument  of  a  s}  llogism  lies  in 
what  logicians  call  the  n)iddle  term  ;  and  some  wri- 
ters of  distinguished  accuracy  call  the  middle  term  itself 
the  argument  (l).  The  remark  is  just,  and  may  serve 
to  explain  an  apparent  inconsistency.  The  Catholick 
church  and  the  Baptists  seem  to  be  at  the  greatest  va- 
riance in  religion.  No.  It  is  not  so  in  regard  to  bap- 
tism. The  dispute  is  short,  and  soon  over,  for  both 
sides  reason  justly.  The  Catholick  produces  a  written 
order,  called  a  canon  law,  as  a  reason  to  baptize  infants. 
The  Baptist  denies  the  competence  of  every  human  tri- 
bunal to  make  religious  law  :  and  ihe  dispute  is  at  an 
end.  Protestants  who  seem  to  agree  with  the  Baptists 
in  many  things  urge  scripture  for  infant  baptism  :  but 
the  Baptists  do  not  allow  that  scripture  so  much  as  men- 
tions the  subject.  Hence  their  disputes  are  frivolous 
and  perpetual  :  for  while  one  side  product: s  a  variety  of 
texts,  the  other  is  obliged  to  shew  by  fair  exposition 
that  they  do  not  speak  of  the  subject,  but  of  something 
else,  from  which  nothing  to  regulate  the  case  in  hand 
can  be  inferred.  Should  any  modern  monarch  take 
David  for  a  model  of  governing:  should  any  general 
take  Joshua's  method  of  besieging  Jericho  for  a  perpet- 

(1)  Watts's  io^/ci.     Part.  iii.  Chap.  i. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  433 

ual  maxim  of  investing  a  city  :  should  any  prelate  im- 
itate Aaron,  and  pray  with  a  bason  of  vvarn^  blo(jd  in  his 
hand  as  he  did  :  objectors  would  agree  with  them,  that 
such  and  such  inspired  authors  did  speak  of  those  per- 
sons and  their  practices  with  approbation  ;  but  at  the 
same  time  they  would  shew  other  i«ispired  writers,  who 
had  declared  that  the  polity  and  the  civil  and  religious 
rites  of  the  Jews  had  aiiswered  their  end,  and  were  now 
abolished.  This  would  be  the  case  with  an  order  given 
the  Jews  to  baptize  infants,  if  any  such  order  could  be 
produced  :  but  how  a  book  that  doth  not  mention  the 
practice  should  settle  a  dispute  about  it,  is  not  easy  to 
determine. 

A    GENERAL    NoTION    OF    A    BaPTIST    ChURCH. 

The  fact  is  this.  Let  the  impartial  judge.  The 
Baptists  form  precisely  such  an  idea  of  a  Christian  Church 
as  that  ornament  of  this  country,  the  late  Mr.  Locke  did 
(2).  His  words  are  these  :  ''  A  church  I  take  to  be  a 
voluntary  society  of  men,  joining  themselves  together  of 
their  own  accord,  in  order  to  the  publick  worshipping 
of  God,  in  such  a  manner  as  they  judge  acceptable  to 
him,  and  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls.  I 
say,  it  is  a  free  and  voluntary  society.  No  body  is 
born  a  member  of  any  church  ;  otherwise  the  religion  of 
parents  would  descend  unto  children,  by  the  same  right 
of  inheritance  as  their  temporal  estates,  and  every  one 
would  hold  his  faith  by  the  same  tenure  he  does  his 
lands  ;  than  which  nothing  can  be  imagined  more  ab- 
surd. Thus,  therefore,  that  matter  stands,  l^o  man  by- 
nature  is  bound  unto  any  particular  church  or  sect,  but 
every  one  joins  himself  voluntarily  to  that  society  in 
which  he  believes  he  has  found  that  profession  and  wor- 
ship which  is  truly  acceptable  to  God.  The  hoi)e  of 
salvation,  as  it  was  the  only  cause  of  his  entrance  into 
that  communion,  so  it  can  be  the  only  reason  of  his  stay 
there.  For  if  afterwards  he  discover  any  thing  either 
erroneous  in  the  docirine,  or  incongruous  in  the  wor- 
ship of  that  society  to  which  he  has  joined  himself,  why 
should  it  not  be  as  free  for  him  to  go  out  as  it  was  to 
enter  ?  No  member  of  a  religious  society  can  be  tied 

(2)  Letters  concerning  toleration.     London.  1765.   Let.  i.  Pae.  37,  38,  49. 
55 


434  01'    ANABAPTISM. 

with  any  other  bonds  but  what  proceed  from  the  certain 
expectation  of  eternal  life.  A  church  then  is  a  society 
of  members  voluntarily  uniting  to  this  ei  d.'' 

"Things  never  so  indifferent  in  their  own  nature, 
when  they  are  brought  into  the  church  and  worship  of 
God,  are  removed  out  of  the  magistrates'  jurisdiction  ; 
because  in  that  use  they  have  no  coniicction  at  all  with 
civil  affairs.  The  only  business  of  the  church  is  the 
salvation  of  souls  :  and  it  no  ways  concerns  the  com- 
monwealth, or  any  member  of  it,  that  this,  or  the  other 
ceremony  be  there  made  use  of.  Neither  the  use,  nor 
the  omission  of  any  ceremonies,  in  those  religious  as- 
semblies, does  either  advantage  or  prejudice  the  life, 
liberty,  or  estate  of  any  man.  For  example  :  Let  it  be 
granted,  that  the  washing  of  an  infant  with  water  is  in 
itself  an  indifferent  thing.  Let  it  be  granted  also,  that 
if  the  magistrate  understand  such  washing  to  be  profita- 
ble to  the  curing  or  preventing  of  any  disease  that  chil- 
dren are  subject  unto,  and  esteem  the  matter  weighty 
enough  to  be  taken  care  of  by  a  law,  in  that  case  he 
may  order  it  to  be  done.  But  will  any  one  therefore 
say,  that  the  magistrate  has  the  same  right  to  ordain,  by 
law,  that  all  children  shall  be  baptized  by  priests,  in  the 
sacred  font,  in  order  to  the  purification  of  their  souls  ? 
The  extreme  difference  of  these  tv\  o  cases  is  visible  to 
every  one  at  first  sight.  Or  let  us  apply  the  last  case 
to  the  child  of  a  Jew,  and  the  thing  will  speak  for  itself. 
For  what  hinders  but  a  Christian  magistiate  may  have 
subjects  that  are  Jews  ?  Now  if  we  acknowledge  that 
such  an  injury  may  not  be  done  unto  a  Jew,  as  to  com- 
pel him,  against  his  own  opinion,  to  practise  in  his  re- 
ligion a  thing  that  is  in  its  nature  indifferent  ;  how  can 
we  maintain  that  any  thing  of  this  kind  may  be  done  to 
a  Christian  V 

The  leading  idea  of  this  great  man  in  his  descriptioiv 
of  a  church  is  the  maxim,  from  which  Mosheim  truly 
says  all  peculiarities  of  the  Baptists  proceed  (3)  :  but 
that  it  deserves  to  be  considered,  as  he  hath  been  pleas- 
ed to  call  it,  a  visionary  illusion  of  enthusiasm,  an  erro- 
neous, and  chimerical  notion,  productive  of  seditious, 
tumultuous,  and  desperate  attempts,  equally  pernicious 
to  the  cause  of  religion  and  the  civil  interests  of  man- 

(3)  Moslieiir.'s  Eccles.  Hist.  Vol.  iv.  Cent.  xvi.  Sect,  iii.  Part.  ii. 
History  of  the  Anabaptiiti. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  435 

kind,  are  positions,  which  a  Briton  who  understands 
liberty  will  not  suffer  a  German  ecclesiastick  to  affirm 
without  contradiction.  There  is  no  hazard  in  saying 
Mr.  Locke  understood  liberty,  and  a  British  Baptist 
day-labourer  understai\ds  it  better  dmn  the  learned  Dr. 
Mosheim.  This  one  principle,  which  includes  the 
four  mentioned  before,  is  so  far  from  deserving  to  be 
called  an  enthusiastical  anabaptistical  error,  that  it  is  a 
sober  first  truth  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  as 
such  hath  been  supported  by  the  ablest  of  politicians 
and  the  best  of  Christians,  and  by  many  of  both,  who 
never  had  any  knowledge  of  the  Baptists.  The  free- 
dom of  religion  from  the  control  of  the  magistrate  :  the 
simplicity  and  perfection  of  revelation  without  the  aid  of 
scholastical  theology  :  the  absolute  exemption  of  all 
mankind  from  the  dominion  of  their  clergy  :  the  suffi- 
ciency of  reason  to  judge  of  revelation  :  are  all  included 
in  the  voluntary  bapdsm  of  an  adult,  and  in  the  maxim, 
*'  that  the  visible  church,  which  Christ  hath  established 
upon  earth,  is  an  assembly  of  true  and  real  saints,  and 
ought  therefore  to  be  inaccessible  to  the  wicked,  and 
exempt  from  all  institutions  of  human  authority.'*  It  is 
this  maxim  with  its  contents,  and  not  re- baptizing,  that 
hath  occasioned  most  of  the  persecutions  of  this  party  of 
Christians.  Such  re-baptizers  as  did  not  hold  these 
sentiments,  as  the  council  of  Nice  for  example,  have 
been  caressed  and  not  persecuted  :  and  such  as  practis- 
ed no  baptism  at  all,  as  the  people  called  Quakers,  or 
infant-baptism,  as  the  English  Independents,  but  have 
held  these  sentiments,  have  drunk  deep  for  the  same 
reasons  of  the  same  bitter  cup  (4). 

It  is,  however,  to  be  observed,  that  not  these  but  An- 
abaptism  hath  generally  been  the  ostensible  cause  of  the 
odium  cast  on  this  party  :  but  that  these  are  at  bottom 
is  pretty  clear  from  the  knack  of  quoting  the  history  of 
the  Munstcr  Baptists  in  this  controversy.  If  authors 
think  rebaptiziiig  hath  no  connection  with  governm.ent, 
why  quote  the  Munster  Baptists  ?  Some  very  amiable 
men,  who  have  not  done  so,  have  yet  in  their  zeal  for 
in*ant  baptism  described  a  rejection  of  it  as  a  crime  of 
deep  die,  including  in  it  disorder,  turbulence,  and  re- 

(4)  Neal's  History  of  the  Puritans.  Vol.  ii.  Chap.  Ti.  Committee  of  Aecsm- 
•SKodatioitf  i^c. 


436  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

sistance  of  authority,  and  though  they  colour  too  strong- 
ly, yet  there  is,  as  hath  been  said  before,  a  bottom  of 
truth  ;  for  to  be  rebaptized,  as  it  is  called,  is  a  practical 
renunciation  both  of  infant  baptism,  and  the  authority  by 
which  it  had  been  adniinisiered.  The  late  pious  Dr. 
Daniel  Williams  asks  this  question  (5)  :  VV^hat  if  a  child 
will  not  agree,  but  refuse  to  agree  to  the  covenant  to 
which  his  infant  baptism  engaged  him  ?  To  which  he 
gives  this  answer.  "  I.  It  is  a  rejecting  Christ  our 
Saviour,  and  a  renouncing  the  blessings  of  the  gospel. 
2.  It  is  the  damning  sin.  3.  It  is  the  heart  of  all  sin.  4, 
It  is  a  rebellion  continued  against  my  Maker.  5.  It  is 
ingratitude  and  perjury  to  my  Redeemer.  6.  It  is  gross 
injustice  to  my  parents.  7.  ft  is  an  affront  to  all  the 
godly.  8.  It  is  a  self-killing  cruelty  to  my  own  soul." 
The  Baptists  honour  the  memory  of  this  very  good 
man,  and  only  say  in  reply  :  "to  refuse  to  agree  to  a 
covenant  made  in  infant  baptism  is  no  sin,  because 
where  there  is  no  law  there  is  no  transgression  (()  '» 
The  danger  of  such  descriptions  as  this,  sometimes 
doth  not  lie  among  the  describers,  for  Dr.  Williams 
was  a  zealous  admirer  of  liberty  :  but  in  the  shocking 
ideas  which  they  excite  in  the  minds  of  intolerant 
persons,  who  consider  these  as  sanctions  of  a  cruel  disci- 
pline, which  the  writers  either  never  thought  of,  or 
most  heartily  abhorred.  After  all,  it  is  very  doubtful 
whether  the  Doctor  thought  of  the  Baptists  when  he 
wrote  this,  and  it  is  highly  probable  he  meant  to 
censure  only  such  youths  as  rejected  Christianity  in 
every  form,  and  not  merely  such  as  embraced  the  whole 
except  the  one  single  ceremony  of  infant-sprinkling. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  appears,  that  an  history 
of  the  Baptists  is  an  history  of  the  five  important  arti- 
cles, in  which  they  always  have  constitutionally  differed 
from  all  established  churches  of  every  form.  These 
are,  as  hath  been  observed  ^  a  love  of  civil  liberty  in 
opposition  to  magistratical  dominion  :  an  affirmation  of 
the  sufficiency  and  simplicity  of  revelation  in  opposition 
to  scholastical  theology  :  a  zeal  for  self  government  in 
opposition  to  clerical  authority  :  a  requisition  of  the 
reasonable  service  of  a  personal  profession  of  Christiani- 

(5)  Vanity  of  Childhood  and  Touth . 

(6)  Hercules    Collins.       Bciieven^-Baptism  from    Heaven.      Answer    to 
Mr.  Williams,  London.  1691. 


OF    ANABAPTISM.  437 

ty  rising  out  of  a  man's  own  convictions,  in  opposition 
to  the  practice  of  force  on  babes,  the  whole  of  which 
they  deem  enthusiasm  :  and  the  indispensable  necessity 
of  virtue  in  every  individual  member  of  a  Christian 
church  in  distinction  from  all  speculative  creeds,  all 
ri,<;hrs  and  ceremonies,  and  all  parochial  divisions.  A 
mere  statement  of  these  five  points  is  sufficient  to  excite 
a  presumption  that  in  all  countries,  where  Catholick 
Christianity  was  established  by  law,  the  Baptists  must 
have  had  a  great  number  of  enemies,  who  had  an  inter- 
est, an  inclination,  and  a  power  to  render  them  odious. 
The  theory  is  too  well  confirmed  by  historical  facts. 

This  is  the  clue  that  ought  to  guide  the  history  of 
Baptists,  and  this  leads  to  the  churches,  which  ever 
since  the  Reformation  have  been  improperly  denominat- 
ed Anabaptist.  As  any  history  that  exhibits  these  just 
principles  of  religion  and  good  government  is  worth  in- 
vestigati;ig,  so  without  these,  Anabaptism  is  an  insipid 
su!)ject,  not  worth  the  pains  of  pursuing.  Anabaptism 
in  the  Catholick  church,  which  was  ordered  by  the 
couiicil  of  Nice,  and  practised  a  little  while  wherever 
the  priest  found  Paulianists  weak  enough  to  submit  to 
it,  is  a  futile  subject  of  no  benefit  to  society.  The  furi- 
ous Anabaptism  of  Cyprian,  and  his  party,  was  a  wick- 
ed exertion  of  unrighteous  dominion,  for  which  the 
miserable  Carthaginians  were  always  notorious.  They 
are  not  these,  but  another  kind  of  people,  whom  they 
oppressed  and  persecuted,  that  are  the  proper  subjects 
of  the  history  of  Baptists,  and  between  whom  and  the 
Carthaginian,  Roman  and  Asiatick  Catholicks,  the  prac- 
tice of  Anabaptism  by  the  latter  formed  only  a  transient, 
momentary,  accidental  likeness.  That  it  was  not  Ana- 
baptism, which  these  ancient  Catholicks  persecuted,  is 
clear,  for  they  practised  it  themselves  :  and  it  is  equally 
clear  that  it  was  not  Anabaptism,  but  the  maxims  above 
mentioned,  which  all  established  churches  since  the 
Reformation  have  persecuted  with  so  much  cruelty. 
The  Dutch  Baptists  have  published  creeds,  which  for 
the  fundamental  points,  as  the  orthodox  call  them,  even 
Luther  and  Calvin  mie;ht  have  subscribed  ;  creeds 
which  even  the  stately  Mosheim  condescended  to  com- 
mend :  and  yet  it  hath  happened  to  them  as  it  happened 
to   the  Socinian  Baptists  of  Poland  and  Transylvania, 


438  OF    ANABAPTISM. 

who  published  creeds  directly  contrary,  creeds  which 
the  orthodox  call  blas[jhcmy  (7).  To  the  gentle  Mora- 
vian and  Prussian  BiptisLs,  always,  except  in  ca-ses  of 
coijscieiice,  submissive  and  supple,  and  when  persecuted 
harmless  as  doves,  it  haiii  happened  exactly  as  it  hap- 
pened to  the  swordsmen  of  iVlanster  :  for  the  fact  was, 
differ  how  they  would,  they  all  practically  rebuked  the 
exorbitant  pride  and  tyranny  ol  ecclcbiasticks,  and  de- 
nied their  dominion  both  in  person  and  in  the  civil 
magistrate  their  deputy  :  and  this,  this  was  the  sin,  and 
the  only  sin  for  which  there  was  no  absolution  (8). 
Thus  that  mighty  mass,  the  horrid  heresy  of  Anabap- 
tisin,  melts  down  into  five  points  ;  and  these  five  points 
are  only  one  virtue  in  different  views,  for  to  resist  tyran- 
ny over  conscience  ought  in  all  ages  to  be  accounted 
a  virtue. 

The  celebrated  Mr.  Voltaire,  who  thought  as  the 
Anabaptists  "  made  no  figure  in  the  world,  it  was  not 
worth  while  to  inquire"  into  their  modern  history,  and 
who  took  his  ideas  of  their  state  at  the  Reformation  from 
a  superficial  view  of  pictures  drawn  by  their  execution- 
ers, \A'ho  "  shewed  them  about  in  cages,  as  wild  beasts 
are  shown,  and  caused  their  flesh  to  be  torn  off  with  red 
hot  pincers,"  was  so  struck  with  what  his  good  sense 
obliged  him  to  see,  that  he  passed  unsuspected  encomi- 
ums on  such  as  he  supposed  the  very  worst  of  them. 
The  Anabaptists,  said  he,  "laid  open  that  dangerous 
truth  which  is  implanted  in  every  breast,  that  mankind 
are  all  born  equal,  saying,  that  if  popes  had  treated  prin- 
ces like  their  subjects,  princes  had  treated  the  common 
people  like  beasts.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  adds  he, 
that  the  demands  made  by  the  Anabaptists,  and  deliver- 
ed in  writing,  were  extremely  just.  The  manifesto 
published  by  these  savages  in  the  name  of  the  men  who 
till  the  earth  might  have  been  signed  by  Lycwgus  (9)." 
Mr.  Voltaire  was  a  well-bred  man,  and  a  lover  of  liber- 
ty, and, he  could  not  pass  by  a  little  shrine  erected  to  it, 
without  bowing  as  he  went  along  :  but  the  savage  vvor- 

(7)  Koeclieri  Bihliot.  Theol.  Symbol.  Catechet.  et  Liturgica.  Guelphcrbyti. 
1751  —  Pars  Altera.  Jenae.  1769.  Cap.  viii.  De  Anabaptistar.  Libris   cclxxv. 

(8)  Wigand.  De  AnabaptUmo Catrou  Hist,  des  Anahaptistes. 

(9)  Woiks.  London.  1770.  &c.   General   History.  Vol:  iv.  Chap.  ex.  Of 

the  Anabaptists Additions  to  General   History.   Vol.  xxii.  Of  the 

Anabaptists. 


THE    STATE    OF    BAPTISM,    KC.  4oy 

shippers  made  no  figure  in  the  ivorld!  Is  not  this  also  lay- 
ing open  a  secret  dangerous  to  the  glory  of  some  pane- 
gyrists, who  write  more  for  wealth  and  fame,  than  disin- 
terestedly for  the  good  of  all  mankind  ? 


CHAP.  XXXV. 

THE    STATE    OF    BAPTISM    IN    THE    ORIENTAL    CHURCHES. 

THE  innumerable  Christians  of  the  East,  who  were 
not  in  communion  with  either  the  Greek  or  Roman  chur- 
ches may  be  divided  into  two  classes.  The  first  consists 
of  such  as  in  ages  past  dissented  from  the  Greek  church, 
and  formed  similar  hierarchies  which  yet  subsist  inde- 
pendent of  one  another  as  well  as  of  the  Greek,  and  Roman 
communities.  The  second  consists  of  those,  who  never 
were  of  any  hierarchy,  and  who  have  alwa\  s  retained  their 
original  freedom.  The  number  of  such  orientals  is 
very  great,  for  they  live  dispersed  all  over  Sv  ria,  Arabia, 
Egypt,  Persia,  Nubia,  Ethiopia,  India,  Tartary,  and 
other  Eastern  countries.  It  is  remarkable,  that  al- 
though they  differ  as  Europeans  do  on  speculative  points 
of  divinity,  yet  they  all  administer  baptism  by  immer- 
sion, and  there  is  no  instance  of  the  contrary. 

Nestorians. 

The  Nestorians,  so  called  from  Nestor,  patriarch  of 
Constantinople,  were  separated  from  the  Greek  church 
in  the  fifth  century,  and  they  have  continued  an  inde- 
pendent hierarchy  to  this  day.  In  theory  they  hold  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  but  they  consider  Jesus  as  a 
mere  man,  who  is  called  God  only  on  account  of  the 
inhabitation  of  the  second  person  in  him  (l).  In  wor- 
ship they  have  preserved  themselves  from  superstition 
more  than  any  other  eastern  hierarchies  have  (2).     Their 

(1)  Jos.  Simon.  Asseraani  Bibllot.  Oriental.  Clem.  Vaticana,  Tom.  iii, 
p.  ii.  Romae.  1728,  Cap.  vii.  Nestorianor  vet.  et.  recent  errores,  Seci.  iv. 
De  Christo  Dom.  Petavii.  De  theob^.  dogmat.  Tom.  v.  Antwerpix.  1700 
De  incarnat.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  ix.  S.  2.  Qiiamobrem  incarnationis  mysteriuin 
nihil  esse  aliud  existimabat  [Nestorius]  quam,  £ye<x»)(r«y,  id  est  liabitationem 
Del  in  honiine,  velut  in  doniicilio  suo,  vel  in  templo:  quemadmod«m  iJ«- 
Mose,  acprophetis  reliquis  habitasse  dicitur. 

(2)  Mosheim.  Miit,  Mceles.  Cent.  xvi.  Sect.  iii.  p.  .i, 


440  THE   STATE    OF    BAPTISM   IN 

church  government  is  sacerdotal;  and  the  patriarch,  who 
usually  resides  at  Mosul,  a  large  city  in  Mesopotarriia, 
near  the  Tigris,  and  not  far  from  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
Nineveh,  hath  under  his  jurisdiction  more  than  four 
hundred  and  thirty  metropolitan  and  episcopal  churches, 
and  he  usually  writes  himself  patriarch  oi  the  East,  or 
patriarch  of  the  Chaldeans,  or  Ass}  rians  (3). 

The  oriental  liturgies  were  evidently  taken  from  those 
of  the  ancient  Greeks,  and  baptism  seems  to  continue 
among  the  Nestorians  nearly  in  that  state  in  which  it 
was  when  they  seceded  from  the  church  (4).  The 
ceremony  begins  by  making  a  Catechumen,  u hich  u.ts 
originally  done  by  instruction,  but  is  now  performed  by 
imposition  of  the  hand,  and  signing  with  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  for  the  church  supposes  parents  have  educated 
iheir  children.  Then  the  candidate  goes  into  the  bap- 
tistery, which  they  call  Jordan,  where  the  priest  reads 
lessons  and  prayers,  after  which  the  auditors  are  dismiss- 
ed, the  gates  shut,  and  the  Catechumen  repeats  the 
Nicene  creed.  Next,  the  Catechumen-oi),  and  the 
baptismal  water  are  blessed,  after  which  a  deacon  a- 
noints  the  Catechumen  all  over,  and  then  leads  him  to 
the  priest,  who,  standing  on  the  west  side  of  Jordan, 
turns  the  face  of  the  Catechumen  to  the  East,  and  lay- 
ing his  hand  upon  his  head,  bows  him  forward  into  the 
water,  a  first  time,  saying,  such  an  one,  the  serijant  of 
God  is  baptized  in  the  name  oj  the  Father^  to  \\  hich  the 
company  answer,  Amen :  then  bowing  him  a  second 
time  he  says,  afid  of  the  Son,  ansver  as  before,  Amen: 
then  a  third  time,  saying,  and  oJ  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen, 
The  baptized  is  then  clothed,  and  the  deacon  leads  him 
out  of  the  baptistery,  and  deli\  ers  him  to  his  friends  in 
waiting.  The  priest  soon  after  goes  in  procession  irom 
the  baptistery  into  the  church,  anoints  the  forehead  of 
the  newly  baptized  with  chrism,  puts  on  him  a  white 
garment,  administers  to  him  the  eucharist,  and  then 
dismisses  the  assembly  with  benedictions  (5).  Such 
rituals  it  is  clear  were  composed  for  adult  baptism. 

(S)  Asseman.  ut.  sup.  Tom.  iii.  p.  ii.  Cap.  xii.  S.  v. 

(4)  Euseb,  Kenaudot.Liturg.  Orient.  CoUectio.  Parisiis  1716  Tom.  ii  p.49. 

(5)  Assemani  ut  sup.    Tom.  iii.  P.  ii.  Cap.  vii    S.  9.    De  Baptismo. 

Catechumeni  recitant  symbolum  Nicxmim Sacerdos,  stans  ad  partem 

occidertalem  Jordanis,  laciem  pueri  vei'tit  ad  orientem,  eun  que  in  aquam 
immcrgit  imponens  manura  suam  super  caput  ejus  et  dicens,  baptizatur 
talis,  &c. 


THE  ORIENTAL  CHURCHES.  441 

The  Nestorians  do  not  practise  exorcism,  for  they 
do  not  admit,  nor  did  they  ever  admit  the  doctrine  of 
original  sin  (6).  They  now  omit  the  renunciation  of 
Satan,  or  more  properly  of  demonology,  which  was  for- 
merly a  part  of  the  baptismal  service,  but  which,  when 
they  accommodated  their  rituals  to  children,  who  being 
born  of  Christian  parents  had  never  lived  in  a  profes- 
sion of  Paganism,  they  very  consistently  laid  aside  (7). 
They  are  well  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  answering  the 
question  :  If  baptism  be  a  remission  of  sin,  why  do  you 
baptize  children,  who,  you  say,  are  perfectly  innocent  ? 
and  their  answers  are  very  obscure  (8).  They  believe 
the  salvation  of  infants  dying  unbaptized,  and  the  office 
for  the  burial  of  such  directs  the  priest  to  attend  the 
corpse  to  the  grave,  to  say  three  canticles  by  the  way, 
or  more  according  to  the  age  of  the  deceased,  and 
if  he  were  grow?!  up  more,  put  earth  upon  him,  and  sign 
him  with  the  sign  of  the  cross. 

The  rubrick  for  baptism  directs  the  officiating  deacon 
to  lead  by  the  hand  into  Jordan  (the  water)  such  as  can 
walk,  as  men  and  boys,  and  to  carry  in  hi-  arms  such  as 
cannot  :  but  at  what  time  the  baptism  of  little  children 
began  to  be  tolerated  in  the  Nestorian  church  is  uncer- 
tain :  the  most  likely  opinion  is,  that  it  was  introduced 
in  the  seventh  century  by  the  Patriarch  Jesujabus  iii. 
who  was  a  irionk  of  great  address,  and  who  raised  him- 
self to  the  patriarchate  by  a  singular  effi^rt.  After  the 
decease  of  the  patriarch  Marema,  the  bishops,  of  whom 
Jesujabus  was  one,  assembled  to  elect  a  successor.  The 
electors,  knowing  Jesujabus  was  a  learned  man,  refer- 
red the  choice  to  him,  and  subscribed  their  names  to 
a  deed  by  which  they  bound  themselves  to  obey  whom- 
soever he  should  elect.  Jesujabus  then  informed  them, 
that  in  his  opinion  no  man  was  so  worthy  of  the  dignity, 
or  could  execute  the  office  with  so  much  honour  as 
himself,  and  of  course  he  became  patriarch  (9).     Being 

(6)  Ibid.  p.  256.    Negant  peccatum  origlnale,  &c. 

(7)  P  258.  Exorcismos  in  baptismo,  et  Satanse  abrenunciationem  omit- 
tunt, 

(8)  Timoth.  ii.  Patriarchae  De  Baptismo,  Cap.  iii.  S.  20.  ut  sup.  p.  256. 
Si  baptismus  in  remissionem  peccatorum  est  quare  infantes  puerosque 
baptizamus,  qui  peccato  cai-eat  ?  -  -  Georgii  Arbelensis  De  Baptismo, 
Qiiaest.  iii.  p.  256. 

(9)  Ebedjesu  Epise.  Sobens.  script,  eccies.  QHtalog.  Cap.  Ixxiv.  apud  Asse- 
man.  Tom.  iii.  P.  i. 

56 


442  THE    STATE    OF    BAPTISM    IN 

superior  to  his  clergy  in  learning  and  address  he  intro- 
duced many  innovations. 

As  it  is  well  known  that  the  oriental  rituals,  coming 
into  the  West  through  the  hands  of  Roman  Catholick 
missionaries,  have  been  most  unconscionably  garbled 
and  interpolated,  so  it  may  very  fairly  be  doubted 
whether  the  baptism  of  natural  infants  be  practised  by 
any  Nestorians  except  a  few,  whom  the  missionarie* 
have  latinized  (I).  The  Nestorians  uniformly  deny 
original  sin  (2) :  they  have  an  office  for  the  burial  of 
unbaptized  children,  with  a  provision  for  such  as  arc 
full  grown  (3)  :  they  are  constantly  censured  for  delay- 
ing to  baptize  their  children  till  they  are  three,  four,  six, 
eight,  ten,  or  eighteen  years  of  age  (l)  :  and  they  have 
continued  the  office  of  deaconness  in  their  churches  to 
this  day. 

Christians  of  St.  Thomas, 

The  Christians  of  St.  Thomas,  as  they  are  called,  and 
who  reside  in  the  East-Indies,  on  the  coast  of  Malabar, 
and  Coromandel,  Cochin,  and  other  parts,  are  a  branch  of 
the  Nestorian  church,  and  their  religion  resembles  that 
of  the  Protestants  of  Europe,  much  more  than  that  of 
the  church  of  Rome  (5).  They  baptize  by  immersion, 
and  often  defer  the  baptism  of  their  children  several 
years  (6).  Learned  men  have  not  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain whether  these  Christians  were  denominated  from 
Thomas,  the  apostle,  who,  it  is  said,  preached  the  gos- 
pel in  India,  or  from  Thomas  a  Manich^an,  or  from  an 
Armenian  merchant,  named  Thomas,  or  from  some  Nesto- 

(1)  J.  Aymon  Monumens  Authentiques  de  la  Religion  des  Grecs.  Et 
de  la  faussete  de  plusieurs  confessions  de  foi  des  Chretiens  orientaux  pro- 
duites  par  les  prelats  de  France.     A  la  Haye.  1708.  pref. 

(2)  Chronicon  Edesseninn  apud  Asseman.  Tom.  i.  p.  402.  An,  739. 

(3)  Asseman.  Tom.  i.  Index  codicum  Mss.  quos  Clemens,  xi.  Pont.  Max. 
Bibl.  Vatic,  addicit.  p.  581.  Codica  Amidenses  iii.  Officium  defunctorum 
juxta  ritum  Chaldaeorum. 

(4)  Le  S'r  de  moni  [/'.  Shnot}}  Hist.  Critiq.  de  la  creance  et  des  coutumes 
des  nations  de  Levant  Franckf.  1684.  p.  5.  lis  rebaptisent  tous  les  latins, 
qui  se  ranfjent  a  leiir  communion  lis  difl'erent  le  baptesme  des  enfans  jusq'a 
trois,  qiiatre,  cinq,  six,  dix  et  dixhuit  ans. 

(5)  Asseman  Bibliot.  Tom.  iii.  Par.  ii.  Cap.  ix.  De  Christianis  S.  Thomac 

in  India  :  deque    Nestoriaiiis   in    Tai-taria  et   vasto  Sinaritm  imperio 

Sect.  iii.  Christiani  S.  Thorns  in  India P.Simon.  Hist.  Crit  Chap.viii. 

Des.  Indiens  ou  Clirestiens  de  St.  Thomas. 

(6)  La  Croze   Hist,  du  Chrrstiunisme  des  Indes. Dr.  Geddes  Hist,  of 

the  Church  of  Malabar.  London.  1694. J.  Alb.  Fabricii  Lux.  Evang.  Cap. 

xxxvi.  De  Orig.  Christ  -•"in  India  orientali. 


THE    ORIENTAL    CHURCHES.  443 

mn  bishop  of  the  same  name.  The  two  last  seem  the 
most  probable  opinions,  and  Mr.  Voltaire  prefers  the  first 
of  the  two.  (7). 

Asian  Jacobites. 

The  Jacobites,  another  class  of  oriental  Christians, 
seceded  from  the  Greek  church  in  the  fifth  century. 
They  received  their  denomination  in  the  sixth  century 
from  Jacob  Baradaeus,  or  Zanzalus,  the  most  able  and 
successful  of  their  leaders.  They  chiefly  inhabit  Syria 
and  Mesopotamia,  and  in  the  last  century  were  said  to 
consist  of  forty  or  fifty  thousand  families  (8).  Their 
theory  of  the  nature  of  Christ  differs  from  those  of  the 
Greeks  and  Ncstorians,  but  some  affirm  the  difference 
is  only  in  words.  Their  polity  is  hierarchical,  and  the 
Asian  Jacobites  are  subject  to  the  patriarch  of  Antioch, 
who  hath  a  colleague  called  the  Maphrian,  that  is,  the 
Catholick  or  primate  of  the  East.  The  patriarch  usually 
resides  in  some  city  of  Syria,  and  the  primate  at  a  mon- 
astery at  Mousul  in  Mesopotamia.  Their  baptism  is  that 
of  nominal  Catechumens  by  trine  imniersion;  and  the 
duration  of  the  baptism  of  adults  may  be  gathered  from  a 
canon  of  the  patriarch  Michael,  which  says,  that  there  was 
no  further  need  ofdeaconnesses,  because  now  the  church 
baptizes  children  of  tender  age,  and  not  women  as  for- 
merly :  however,  if  it  should  be  necessary  in  future,  a 
deaconness  of  such  and  such  quahfications  might  be 
ordained.  This  patriarch  died  in  the  year  eleven  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine. 

African  Jacobites  and  Copts. 

Another  large  class  of  oriental  Christians  is  that  of  the 
African  Monophysites  or  Jacobites,  whose  faith,  worship, 
and  government  are  precisely  the  same  as  those  of  the 
Asian  Jacobites  with  whom  they  are  in  strict  communion. 
The  patriarch  of  Alexandria  is  the  spiritual  ruler  of  this 
church,  and  he  hath  a  colleague  called  Abbuna,  or  fath- 
er, who  presides  over  one  division,  for  they  are  divided 
into  Copts  who  inhabit  Egypt  and  Nubia,  and  Abyssin- 
ians,  or  Ethiopians.      The  Copts  are  very  numerous. 

(7)  Gen.    Hist.  Cap.  ili.  Of  the  Indies. 

(8)  Simon,  ut  sup.  Chap.  ix.  lis  ne  sont  tout  au  plus  que  40  oQ  50  miile 
families. 


444  THE    STATE    OF    BAPTISM    IN 

The  Greek  patriarch  Cyril  Lucar  said  in  the  last  century, 
they  were  ten  times  more  numerous  than  the  Greeks, 
The  Abyssinians,  or  inhabitants  of  Upper  Ethiopia,  are  in- 
comparably more  numerous  than  the  Copts,  and  as  they 
live  under  a  Christian  king,  their  condition  is  less  re- 
strained than  that  of  the  Copts.  All  these  Christians 
administer  baptism  to  children  by  trine  immersion,  and 
immediately  after  they  give  them  the  Lord's  supper; 
for  their  offices  for  baptism  were  evidently  composed 
for  adults,  as  all  other  eastern  rituals  were  (9).  That 
which  is  attributed  to  Severus,  patriarch  of  Alexandria, 
was  composed  by  Severus,  patriarch  of  Antioch.  The 
Alexandrian  Jacobites  never  had  a  patriarch  of  the  name 
of  Severus. 

Armenians. 

The  Armenians  form  another  large  eastern  hierarchy. 
The  ancient  and  extensive  kingdom  of  Armenia  in  Asia, 
after  various  revolutions  fell  under  the  dominion  of  the 
Turks  and  the  Persians,  between  whom  the  country  was 
divided.  The  inhabitants  received  Christianity  in  the 
Catholick  form  early.  In  the  fourth  century  Tiridates, 
the  king,  established  an  hierarchy,  and  at  the  beginning 
of  the  sixth,  under  the  patriarch  Nierses,  the  Armenian 
church  seceded  from  other  establishments,  became  in- 
dependent, and  embraced  the  theory  of  the  Jacobites, 
differing  from  them,  however,  in  a  few  articles  of  dis- 
cipline. 

The  learned  Schroeder,  after  Moses  Chorenensis, 
who  flourished  in  the  fifth  century,  describes  Armenia, 
divides  it  into  fifteen  provinces,  and  subdivides  them  into 
one  hundred  and  ninety-one  dioceses.  He  observes 
the  obscurity  with  which  Greek:  and  Latin  writers 
through  ignorance  and  false  zeal  have  covered  the  his- 
tory, the  language,  the  wridngs,  and  the  ceremonies  of 
this  ancient  nation.  The  Armenians  celebrate  an  annual 
festival,  called  Cachachouran,  a  word  half  Armenian  and 
half  Persian,  which  travellers  say,  signifies  the  baptism 
of  the  cross.     It  is  generally  supposed,  this  is  a  reli- 

(9)    Ordo  Baptism!  Sec  .usumMthiop.  Sacerdos  clescendit  in  fontem et 

ter  tnergit,  dicens,  ego  baptize  te,  &e. Ordo  Baptisnti  Severi  Patriarchce 

Alexandr.  Et  dimittit  eum  in  baptisterium,  respiciens  ad  orientem,  dex- 
tramque  suam  capiti  ejus  qui  baptizatur  imponit,  et  sinistra  sua  ter 
Rttollit  ex  aquis Tunc  educit  eum  e  medio  aquarum. 


THE  ORIENTAL  CHURCHES.  445 

gioiis  ceremony,  the   same  as   the  Theophany   of  the 
Greeks,  and  the  Epiphany  or  twelfth  day  of  the  Roman 
Catholicks.     It  is  celebrated  on  the  sixth  of  January, 
and  the  terms  signify  manifestation :  but  ecclesiasticks 
have  not  agreed  whether  it  is  in  commemoration  of  the 
birth  of  Christ,   by  which  God  was  manifested  in  the 
flesh;  or  of  the  visit  of  the  wise  men,  in  which  Christ 
was  manifested  to  the  Gentiles ;  or  of  the  baptism  of 
Jesus,  at  which  the  voice  fronn  heaven  manifested  him 
as  the  Messiah  to  the  j^e-ivs.     Perhaps,  after  all,  this  fes- 
tival is  nothing  but  a  civil  institute,  the  same  as  the  Ro- 
man lustrum,  when  the  army  was  reviewed,  or  a  tax 
paid,  and  when,  of  course,   soldiers  and  citizens  were 
manifested  or  made  known.      The  Persians  mark  this 
Armenian  festival  in  their  almanacks,  their  Mohammedan 
kings  attend  it,  and  some  of  their  criticks  say,  it  is  an 
imitation  of  the  Abhirkan  of  the  Guebres  or  Gaurs,  that 
is,  the  festival  of  lustral  water,  which  was  in  use  among  the 
ancient  Persians.      In  proof  of  the  obscurity  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  Armenians,  of  which  Schroeder  complains, 
it  may  be  observed  that  one  of  the  best  authors  says, 
*'  The  Armenians  think  it  sufficient  to  celebrate  the  festi- 
val of  the  Theophany  by  only  plunging  a  cross  into  water, 
and  they  do  so  without  either  praying,  or  singing  an 
hymn,  or  reading  the  gospel,  or  any  other  writings." 
Another  author,  of  good  account,  and  who  by  invitation 
of  some  Armenians  was  present  at  the  ceremony,  says, 
the  service  took  up  four  hours,  which  were  chiefly  em- 
ployed in  reading,  singing,  and  praying,  and  which  was 
concluded  by  plunging  a  silver  cross  into  the  water. 
It  is  a  prejudice  to  call  this  baptism,  for  pliinging  alone 
is  not  baptism,  but  some  baptismal  words  are  essential 
to  a  baptism,  and  it  doth  not  appear  that  any  such  w^ords 
were  ever  used  by  the  Armenians  at  the  immersion  of  a 
cross.     The  Orientals  and  the  Greeks  thought  Jesus  was 
born  on  the  sixth  of  January,  and  baptized  on  the  same 
day  of  the  same  month  when  he  became  thirty  years 
of  age. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  Shah  Abbas,  king  of  Persia, 
having  taken  Armenia  from  the  Turks,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent any  future  incursions,  depopulated  the  country, 
and  removed  the  inhabitants  into  Persia.  At  one 
time  he  transported  about  thirty  thousand  families  into 


446  THE    STATE    OF    BAPTISM    IN 

the  province  of  Ghilan.  He  removed  the  inhabitants 
of  Zulfa,  a  large  city  of  Armenia,  to  a  suburb  of  Isjia- 
han,  which  is  now  called  Zulfa,  and  which  is  become 
an  extensive  cily,  having  fifteen  or  sixteen  churches 
and  chapels,  and  abounding  in  population  and  wealth. 
Silk  is  the  staple  coninnodity  of  Persia,  and  Shah  Abbas 
pitched  on  the  Armenians  as  the  onh  persons  in  his  do- 
minions capable  of  conducting  the  merchandise  of  it. 
Under  his  auspicious  patronage  they  became  the  first 
merchants  in  the  world.  They  are  masters  of  the 
whole  trade  of  the  Levant  ;  they  have  factors  in  Leg- 
horn, Venice,  England,  and  Holiand  ;  tliey  travel  into 
the  dominions  of  the  Great  Mogul,  Siam,  Java,  the 
Philippine  Islands,  and  over  all  the  East,  except  China  ; 
and  acquire  immense  fortunes,  being  equally  in  reputa- 
tion for  mercantile  skill,  and  for  application,  industry, 
and  prosperity  in  the  conmiercial  world. 

The  chief  patriarch  of  the  Armenian  church  is  elected 
by  bishops.  His  election  is  confirmed  by  the  King  of 
Persia,  and  he  presides  over  forty-four  archbishops. 
He  usually  resides  in  a  monastery  at  Echmiazin,  and, 
although  his  revenue  is  princely,  yet  he  lives  in  a  plain, 
frugal  style,  without  pomp  and  parade.  A  second  pa- 
triarch subject  to  the  first,  resides  at  Cis  in  Cilicia,  and 
hath  twelve  archbishops  under  him,  who  govern  the 
churches  in  Cilicia,  Cappadocia,  Cyprus,  and  Syria. 
A  third  patriarch  lives  in  the  island  of  Aghtamar,  anoth- 
er at  Constantinople,  another  at  Jerusalem,  another  at 
Caminiec  in  Poland,  but  all  are  inferior  to  the  patriarch 
at  Echmiazin.  The  Armenian  church  baptizes  chil- 
dren by  trine  immersion(  l),  but  their  rituals  are  compiled 
for  adults,  and  one  of  their  church  officers  is  denomin- 
ated an  exorcist,  the  same  as  a  catechist,  who  is  direct- 
ed at  his  ordination  to  prepare  Catechumens  for  baptism 
by  teaching  them  to  renounce  Satan,  that  is,  dcmonolo- 
gy.  The  Roman  missionaries  accuse  them,  as  they  do 
all  the  Eastern  churches,  of  frequently  deferring  the 
baptism  of  their  children. 

Severus,  patriarch  of  Antioch,  composed  an  hymn- 
book,  which  is  in  high  estimation  among  the  Armeni- 
ans.    The  Emperor  Justinian  ordered  all  the  books  of 

(1)  Tavernier.  B.  iv.  Chap.  xi.  Of  the  Baptism  of  the  Armenians. 
The  archbishop  or  the  minister  plunges  the  infant  in  the  river  or  pond 
three  times,  saying  the  usual  words,  I  baptize  thee,  and  so  on. 


THE    ORIENTAL    CHURCHES.  447 

Severus  to  be  committed  to  the  flames,  and  the  hands 
of  future  copyists  to  be  cut  oft',  but  this,  probably,  as  in 
most  siuiilar  cases,  contributed  to  the  sale  of  them.  In 
the  sixth  century,  Paul,  bisliop  of  Callinicus,  a  city  of 
Mesopotamia  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  since  call- 
ed Leontopolis,  translated  the  hymn-book  out  of  Greek 
into  Syriac,  and  added  to  the  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
five  hymns,  which  had  been  composed  by  Severus, 
several  others  written  by  himstlf,  and  by  John  Bar- 
Aphton,  Abbot  of  Cansara,  and  by  another  John,  Abbot 
of  the  same  monastery,  and  others  who  are  anonymous. 
In  the  present  century  an  Armenian  edition  of  this  work 
was  printed,  ornamented  with  cuts,  and  that  which  de- 
scribes the  baptism  of  Jesus,  represents  John  on  the 
bank  of  Jordan  extending  his  right  hand  toward  the 
head  of  Jesus,  who  is  kneeling  in  the  river,  naked,  ex- 
cept a  loose  covering  negligently  wrapped  round  his 
waist.  There  are  several  spectators,  naked  or  loosely 
clothed,  some  sitting  on  the  bank,  and  one  as  if  just 
come  out  of  the  water.  Chardin,  who  was  present  at 
Zulfa,  at  the  Armenian  festival  called  Cachachouran, 
that  is,  the  baptism  of  the  cross,  observes,  that  the  Mo- 
hammedans call  Christian  baptism  Sebgah,  dying,  be- 
cause they  always  see  it  performed  by  immersion  or 
plunging  :  by  which,  adds  he,  it  may  be  judged,  that 
they  know  nothing  of  the  western  practice  of  baptizing 
by  aspersion. 

Georgians,    Mingrellians,   and  others. 

Between  the  Caspian  and  the  Euxine  Seas,  lie  the 
kingdom  of  Georgia,  the  ancient  Iberia,  Mihgrelia,  for- 
merly called  Colchis,  the  kingdom  of  Immaretta,  the 
principality  of  Guriel,  Circassia,  Comania,  Sherwan, 
Daghestan,  Mount  Caucasus,  and  other  regions,  inhab- 
ited by  Greeks,  Indians,  Tartars,  Muscovites,  Persians, 
Turks,  and  Armenians,  some  tributaries  to  the  Persiaiis, 
others  to  the  Turks,  and  others  independent  states. 
The  prevailing  religion  is  the  Christian,  and  the  doctrine 
and  discipline  of  the  churches  are  nearly  the  same  as 
those  of  the  Greek  church,  on  which,  however,  they 
have  no  dependence.  The  patriarch,  the  bishops,  and 
tlie  clergy  of  Georgia,  have  no  civil  authority,  but  the 
king  is  supreme  in  the  church  as  well  as  in  the  state. 


448  THE     STATE    OF    BAPTISM    IN 

They  do  not  baptize  ne'.^  born  babes,  and  they  call  bap- 
tism Nathlizema,  illumination.  In  general  they  are  not 
very  eager  to  baptize,  and  Father  Avitabolis  mentions 
one  who  was  not  baptized  till  after  he  had  been  ordained 
a  bishop.  They  rebaptize  such  as  are  reconverted  to  the 
faith.  They  administer  baptism  sometimes  to  children 
of  two,  some  say  five  years  of  age,  by  washing.  The 
priest  reads  prayers,  and  the  form  of  baptism,  but  does 
not  stop  at  the  baptismal  words  ;  and  after  he  hath  fin- 
ished, another  person  undresses  the  candidate,  and  eith- 
er, as  Father  Zampi  says,  plunges  him  three  times  into  a 
warm  bath,  or  as  Father  Avitabolis  reports,  washes  him 
all  over  from  head  to  foot.  It  is  said  the  Mingreliati 
gentry  are  sometimes  baptized  in  wine  instead  of  water  : 
but,  probably,  the  author  of  this  was  misinformed.  It 
was  for  ages  believed  in  the  West  that  some  Eastern 
Christians  baptized  in  oil  :  but  it  hath  been  since  proved 
that  no  such  practice  ever  existed. 

Besides  these  hierarchies,  there  are  many  Christians 
in  the  East,  who  have  no  communion  with  them,  and 
who  never  had  any.  Of  these  it  is  allowed  on  all  hands, 
nothing  satisfactory  is  known.  Only  two,  therefore,  will 
be  mentioned  here. 

Disciples   of  St.  John. 

The  disciples  of  John,  or,  as  the  Europeans  call  them, 
the  Christians  of  St.  John  Baptist,  reside  in  Turkey, 
Persia,  Arabia,  India,  and  other  parts  of  the  East. 
They  were  computed  by  Ignatius,  a  Jesu  in  the  last  cen- 
tury, at  twenty,  or  twenty-five  thousand  families ;  but 
Chardin  says,  fourscore  thousand,  and  their  principal 
place  of  residence  was  Bassora,  and  places  adjacent  to 
the  gulf  of  Persia.  It  would  be  tedious  to  relate,  and 
endless  to  attempt  to  confute  the  various,  improbable, 
and  contradictory  accounts  given  of  these  people.  What 
appears  most  credible  is  :  that  some  Jews  who  inhabited 
the  banks  of  Jordan,  and  who  were  baptized  by  John, 
embraced  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  tranumitied  it 
along  with  river-baptism  to  their  descendants :  that 
their  descendants  to  avoid  the  miseries  of  their  country 
migrated  from  Palestine  to  Chaldea  and  Mesopotamia :  that 
there  they  were  joined  by  some  Persian  Manichasans,  and 
by  the  Sabeeans  of  Haran  :  that  they  acquired  the  highest 


THE    ORIENTAL    CHURCHES.  449 

reputation  in  the  East  for  their  skill  in  philosophy  and  as- 
tronomy, chiefly  by  means  of  Thabet  Ben  Corrah  Ben  Ha- 
ni n,  aSabaean  Haranite,  and  an  eminent  mathematician 
and  physician :  that  they  were  in  early  ages  joined  by 
Arians  and  Samosetanians,  and  afterward  by  the  Sarigani 
who  inhabited  Beth-Tachonai  and  other  places  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Metropolitan  of  Seleucia,  and  who 
seceded  from  the  Nestorian  church,  in  the  eighth  centu- 
ry, because  they  believed  Jesus  was  a  mere  man  like  the 
ancient  prophets. 

These  people  inhabit  only  towns  watered  by  rivers, 
and  in  the  June  of  every  year  they  hold  a  festival  of 
baptism,  and,  some  travellers  say,  they  are  all  annually 
rebaptized  in  a  river.  It  is  far  more  credible,  that  they 
administer  baptism  only  once  a  year,  and  that  then  they 
baptize  only  such  as  had  not  been  baptized  before  :  but 
the  contradictions  of  writers  are  so  great,  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  determine  with  precision  any  thing,  except  that 
they  worship  one  Supreme  Being,  know  nothing  of  a 
Trinity,  consider  Jesus  only  as  an  eminent  prophet, 
and  baptize  by  immersion  in  rivers  :  for  in  these  articles 
all  agree.  A  festival  indeed  in  commemoration  of  the 
baptism  of  Christ,  is  celebrated  in  the  Greek  and  Ar- 
menian churches  by  plunging  a  cross  in  a  river,  and 
by  the  Ethiopians  by  immersing  themselves  :  and  in 
the  West,  the  priests  formerly  aspersed  the  people  dur- 
ing the  paschal  procession,  to  remind  them  that  they 
had  been  baptized  by  trine  immersion. 

MANICHSeANS. 

One  class  of  oriental  Christians  unconnected  with  all 
hierarchies  consists  of  the  innumerable  churches  in  dif- 
ferent countries,  which  proceeded  from  the  celebrated 
Manes,  a  Persian  physician  of  the  third  century,  from 
whom  they  were  called  Manicheeans,  although  they  have 
been  often  concealed  under  other  names.  Torribio,  a 
Spanish  bishop,  pretended  they  baptized  in  oil,  but  the 
learned  Beausobre  hath  ably  refuted  the  calumny.  Doc- 
tor Mosheim  hath  investigated  their  doctrine  of  baptism, 
and  with  the  utmost  evidence  of  just  criticism  hath 
proved  to  a  demonstration,  that  the  Manicbasans  did 
administer  baptism :  that  thev  did  not  attribute  any 
57 


450  THE   STATE    OF    BAPTISM  IN 

saving  benefit  to  it,  and  therefore  did  not  administer  it 
to  any,  except  with  their  own  consent :  that  they  did  not 
baptize  infants  :  that  hearers  were  not  baptized  :  and 
that  only  such  members  of  their  churches  as  desired  it 
were  baptized.  This  is  precisely  the  state  of  baptism 
in  those  English  Baptist  churches  which  admit  free 
communion.  The  Manichseans  baptized  by  immer- 
sion, and,  it  is  highly  probable,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

They  who  consider  Popery  as  meridian  brightness 
censure  all  oriental  Christians  for  ignorance,  and  say, 
they  are  enveloped  in  midnight  darkness,  not  consider- 
ing that  the  people  of  the  East,  comparing  little  western 
kingdoms  with  their  own  vast  empires,  regard  the  West 
as  the  English  do  the  Otaheitans,  for  they  have  no  taste 
for  scholastical  literature,  and  no  knowledge  of  the  in- 
tricate quibbles  which  have  rent  the  western  world.  In 
arts  and  sciences  they  excel,  and  in  mechanicks,  math- 
ematicks,  and  astrmiomy,  they  have  been  tutors  of  Eu- 
rope. Even  the  Georgians  and  Mingrelians,  whom 
the  Catholicks  represent  as  most  deplorably  ignorant, 
exhibit  a  just  and  noble  sense  of  the  sacred  rights  of 
conscience.  There  were  at  Teflis,  the  capital  of  Geor- 
gia, when  Roman  missionaries  arrived,  14  churches, 
of  which  only  six  were  occupied  by  Georgians,  the  other 
eight  belonged  to  Armenians.  The  king  gave  the 
missionaries  habitations,  a  church  for  publick  worship, 
and  every  thing  necessary  to  their  accommodation,  al- 
though he  chose  to  continue  in  his  own  profession  of 
religion.  Had  Georgian  bishops  gone  to  Rome  to  con- 
vert the  inhabitants,  as  the  missionaries  went  to  Teflis  to 
convert  the  Georgians,  would  the  supreme  pontiff  have 
done  likewise?  The  Geoi'gians  think  themselves  the 
purest  Christians  upon  earth  ;  they  deny  the  Catholick 
miracles ;  they  consider  the  missionaries  as  extremely 
erroneous  ;  but  they  never  call  them  hereticks,  and  like 
the  Mohammedans  they  never  persecute.  The  notion 
of  the  ignorance  of  eastern  Christians  seems  a  mere 
popular  error.  Even  in  the  Catholick  way  the  monas- 
tical  schools  of  Edessa,  Nisibis,  and  other  places,  have 
produced  many  writers  eminent  in  various  branches  of 
literature. 


the  oriental  churches.  451 

Chinese  Christians. 

It  would  be  hazardous  to  affirm  any  thing  of  the  Chris- 
tians who  live  dispersed  in  China,  the  Mogul's  empire, 
and  Eastern  Tartary,  except  that  they  are  reputed  chiefly 
Nestorians.  It  is  pleasant  to  reflect,  that  in  all  the 
kingdoms  within  this  prodigious  extent  of  territory, 
such  Christians  as  practised  virtue  and  did  not  disturb 
society  always  found  protection,  although  they  were  not 
in  general  employed  in  civil  offices.  It  was  said  by  the 
celebrated  Confucius,  "True  wisdom  consists  in  im- 
proving the  mind  and  purifying  the  heart,  in  loving 
mankind  and  engaging  them  to  love  virtue,  in  removing 
every  obstacle  to  an  union  with  the  sovereign  good,  and 
in  attaching  one's-self  only  to  him.'*  Had  the  Roman 
missionaries  incorporated  this  sublime  maxim  into  their 
practice,  they  would  not  have  been  banished  from  any 
of  these  countries.  Christians  have  resided  here  in  per- 
fect peace  more  than  a  thousand  years.  The  Arabians 
and  Persians  name  Jesus  Isa^  and  Christians  are  called 
in  Persia  and  India  Isai,  that  is,  Jesu-ites^  or  disciples 
of  Jesus.  The  Chinese  call  them  Terzai,  As  Marci- 
onite  and  Manichasan  Christians  have  always  flourished 
in  those  countries,  probably  it  is  of  them,  and  not  of 
Nestorians,  that  some  writers  speak,  when  they  say,  The 
people  of  Cathay  are  Pagans :  but  they  have  the  scrip» 
tures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  and  the  lives  of 
the  fathers :  they  have  houses  like  churches  in  which 
they  worship :  they  adore  one  God,  venerate  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  believe  eternal  life :  they  love  Chris- 
tians, they  are  humane  and  benevolent,  and  do  many 
alms  :  but  they  are  not  baptized.  The  Catholicks 
always  affirmed  of  such  Christians  that  they  disused 
baptism;  but  it  is  an  error,  as  may  be  seen  in  the 
foregoing  account  of  the  Manichasans. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  the  Roman  Catholick  mission- 
aries conceal  from  their  proselytes  in  the  East  the  scrip- 
ture history  of  the  baptism  of  John.  In  the  year  six- 
teen hundred  fifty-one  Alexander  de  Rhodes,  a  Jesuit 
missionary,  printed  at  Rome  at  the  expense  of  the  con- 
gregation de  propaganda  Jide  a  catechism,  as  he  entitled 
it,  for  the  use  of  such  as  were  about  to  be  baptized  in 
Tonquin.     It  oonsists  of  eight  catechetical  lectures  in  the 


452         ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM    IN    THE 

language  of  the  country,  with  a  Latin  version.  These 
the  missionary  is  directed  to  deliver  to  the  Catechumens 
on  eight  several  da)  s  previous  to  the  administration  of 
baptism.  They  narrate  the  New  Testament  story,  not 
in  general  in  the  words  of  the  Evangelists,  but  in  those 
of  the  missionary,  and  paraphrastically,  with  the  addition 
of  many  ecclesiastical  fables.  The  whole  history  of  the 
baptism  of  John  is  omitted,  the  baptism  of  Jesus  is  not 
mentioned,  and  the  words  of  the  true  gospel  are  used 
only  as  far  as  they  do  not  clash  with  the  views  of  the 
narrator.  Thus  the  history  of  baptism  tells.  Jesus, 
after  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  constituted  Peter, 
and  his  successor,  who  is  called  Pope,  his  vicar  upon 
earth  to  the  end  of  the  world.  He  instructed  his  apos- 
tles how  to  govern  the  church,  and  how  to  administer 
the  sacraments  ;  then  he  added,  Go  ye  therefore  and 
teach  all  nations^  baptizing  them^  and  so  on.  This  is  a 
gospel  according  to  Father  de  Rhodes. 


CHAP.  XXXVI. 

OF    THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF  BAPTISM   IN  THE  ESTABLISHED 
GREEK  AND  ROMAN    CHURCHES. 

OF    BAPTISM    IN    THE    ESTABLISHED    GREEK    CHURCH. 

THE  Greek  church  professes  to  take  the  Holy 
Scripture  for  the  law  of  religious  rites  as  it  is  expound- 
ed by  some  ancient  councils,  and  regulated  by  rituals 
approved  by  human  authority.  It  is  their  opinion  that 
Jesus  was  baptized  on  the  Epiphany,  which  is  the  sixth 
of  January,  new  style  (l).  It  hath  been  a  very  ancient 
custom  with  them  on  that  day  to  perform  the  ceremony 
of  blessing  the  waters  by  prayer,  and  plunging  a  cross 
into  the  water.  This  is  done  in  the  baptismal  fonts  at 
the  churches  as  well  as  in  the  rivers.  Their  ancient 
calendars  are  illuminated,  and  by  way  of  title  to  the 
prayers  for  the  day,  there  is  a  picture  of  the  history  on 
which  the  service  is  founded  :  a  very  ancient  practice, 
and  very  proper  to  convey  just  notions  of  what  they 
who  officiate  on  those  days  ought  to  be  about.  I'he 
learned  antiquary  Locatelli  furnished  Paciaudi,  while  he 

(1)  Goarii  Eucholog.  she  Rituale  Gracor.  Paris.  1647.— — 'Tzanphurnari 
Menologia.  Venet.    1639. 


GREEK    AND    ROMAN    CHURCHES.  4a3 

was  printing  his  antiquities,  with  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient of  these  calendars,  and  he  published  plates  of  some 
of  the  illuminations.  In  that  for  the  sixth  of  January, 
John  is  represented  as  baptizing  Jesus,  he  on  the  left 
hand  bank,  Jesus  naked  in  the  river,  and  three  angels  on 
the  opposite  bank  :  the  whole  very  much  resembling 
that  Mosaick  work  at  Venice,  which  is  described  under 
the  article  Venetian  Baptistery.  That  for  the  seventh 
of  January  is  a  curious  picture  very  much  like  the  for- 
mer ;  John  is  on  the  left  hand  bank  stooping  down  over 
the  river,  and  reaching  out  his  right  hand  as  if  going  to 
baptize  :  in  the  river  are  several  men  up  to  the  calf  of  the 
leg  in  water,  all  naked  except  a  sort  of  short  petticoat 
like  the  Highland  fillebeg,  not  reaching  quite  so  low  as 
the  knees.  The  very  ancient  characters  at  the  top  have 
given  occasion  to  various  conjectures.  It  is  entitled  the 
association  or  fellowship.  Hence  some  Catholick  anti- 
quaries question  whether  the  artist  did  not  intend  to  rep- 
resent John  preaching  to  the  patriarchs  in  purgatory. 
Others  think  he  is  associating  the  Jews  by  baptism. 
A  Baptist  would  suppose  it  was  a  representation  of  John 
in  the  act  of  forming  a  Christian  church,  and  uniting 
them  in  fellowship  by  baptism.  The  crosses  with 
which  the  water  is  blessed  are  made  of  box,  and  carved 
in  a  curious  manner  by  the  monks  of  Mount  Athos,  or 
by  their  procurement.  In  that  of  the  ingenious  antiqua- 
ry, Ignatius  Orti,  published  by  Paciaudi,  the  angels,  as 
usual,  are  in  waiting  on  the  bank,  John  is  on  the  left 
hand  bank,  Jesus  is  in  the  river  naked,  and  John  with 
his  right  hand  is  bowing  the  head  of  Jesus  forward  into 
the  water  to  baptize  him.  In  the  first  of  these  pictures 
there  is  the  mode  of  baptism,  dipping  :  in  the  second, 
the  subjects,  adults  :  and  in  the  third,  that  manner  of 
dipping,  bowing  forward,  which  was  mentioned  a  little 
while  ago. 

In  this  ceremony  of  blessing  the  waters  at  Peters- 
burgh,  the  octagon  form  of  the  ancient  baptisteries  is  yet 
preserved.  A  modern  traveller,  whose  fidelity  is  equal 
to  his  elegance  and  taste,  was  present  at  this  ceremony, 
and  he  describes  it  in  this  manner  (2).  *'  Upon  the  fro- 
zen surface  of  a  small  canal  between  the  admiralty  and 

(2)  W.  Coxe's  Travels  into  Poland,  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Denmark, 
London,  ir84.  Vel,  ii.  Chap.  viii. 


454  ADMINISTRATION     OF    BAPTISxM    IN    THE 

the  palace,  was  erected  an  octagon  pavilion  of  wood, 
painted  green,  and  ornamented  with  boughs  of  fir  :  it  was 
open  at  the  sides,  and  crowned  by  a  dome,  supported 
by  8  pillars.  On  the  top  was  the  figure  of  St.  John  with 
tlie  cross,  and  4  paintings  representing  some  of  the  miracles 
of  our  Saviour :  in  the  insitle  a  carved  image  of  the  Holy- 
Spirit,  under  the  emblem  of  a  dove,  was  suspended,  as  is. 
usual  in  the  sanctuaries  of  the  Greek  churches.  The 
floor  of  this  edifice  was  carpeted,  excepting  a  square  va- 
cancy in  the  middle,  in  which  an  opening  was  cut  in  the 
ice,  and  a  ladder  let  down  into  the  water.  The  pavil- 
ion was  enclosed  by  palisadoes  adorned  with  boughs  of 
fir,  and  the  intermediate  space  also  covered  with  carpets. 
From  one  of  the  windows  of  tiie  palace  a  scaffolding  was 
erected,  ornamented  with  red  cloth  which  reached  to 
the  extremity  of  the  canal;  at  the  time  appointed,  the 
Empress  appeared  at  the  window  of  the  palace  ;  and  the 
archbishop,  who  was  to  perform  the  benediction,  passed 
at  the  head  of  a  numerous  procession  along  the  scaffold- 
ing into  the  octagon,  round  which  were  drawn  up  a  few 
soldiers  of  each  rcgicnent  quartered  at  Petersburgh : 
after  having  pronounced  a  few  prayers,  he  descended 
the  ladder,  plunged  a  cross  into  the  water,  and  then 
sprinkled  the  colours  of  each  regiment.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  this  ceremony,  the  archbishop  retired,  and  the 
people  rushed  in  crowds  into  the  octagon,  drank  with 
eagerness  the  water,  sprinkled  it  upon  their  clothes,  and 
carried  some  of  it  away  for  the  purpose  of  purifying  their 
houses.  I  was  informed  that  some  of  the  populace 
plunged  into  the  water ;  and  that  others  dipped  their 
children  into  it ;  but  as  I  was  not  myself  witness  to  these 
circumstances,  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth." 

Another  historian  adds  (3)  :  "  all  infants  who  are  bap- 
tized with  the  water  of  the  sacred  orifice,  are  supposed 
to  derive  from  it  the  most  peculiar  advantages.  Parents 
therefore  are  very  eager,  even  at  the  hazard  of  their  chil- 
dren's lives,  to  embrace  the  blessed  occasion.  I  have 
heard  that  a  priest,  in  inmiersing  a  child,  for  baptism  is 
performed  by  the  immersion  of  the  whole  body,  let  it 
slip,  through  inattention,  into  the  water.     The  child  was 

(3)  W.  Richardson's  AneedoUs  of  the  Russian  £mpire.  London.  \7Zi, 
|»ag.33S. 


OREEK-AND     ROMAN    CHURCHES.'  455 

drowned  ;  but  the  holy  man  suffered  no  consternation. '*^ 
**  Give  me  another,"  said  he,  with  the  utmost  compo- 
sure, " forthe  Lord  hath  taken  this  to  himself."  " The 
Empress,  however,  having  other  uses  for  her  sub- 
jects, and  not  desiring  that  the  Lord  should  have  any 
more  in  that  way  at  least,  gave  orders,  that  all  children 
to  be  baptized  in  the  hole  in  the  river,  should  henceforth 
be  let  down  in  a  basket." 

It  is  in  this  ceremony,  if  any  where,  that  real  modern 
Anabaptists  are  to  be  found  (4).  According  to  some 
travellers,  the  Ethiopians  perform  such  a  benediction  on 
the  same  day  in  commemoration  of  the  baptism  of 
Christ.  After  the  blessing  of  the  water  by  the  priests, 
the  Emperor  and  his  consort,  covered  only  about  the 
middle,  go  down  into  the  water,  the  people  follow  na- 
ked, the  priest  standing  in  the  water  up  to  his  shoulders 
puts  his  hand  upon  their  heads,  and  three  times  bends 
them  into  the  water,  pronouncing  the  usual  words- 
The  account  is  confused,  and  the  fact  seems  to  be,  that 
some  rush  in  and  dip  themselves  only  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  baptism  of  Jesus  :  but  that  others,  who  had  been 
baptized  before,  and  had  deserted  to  the  Mohammedans^ 
but  had  lately  returned  to  their  first  profession,  and  de- 
clared their  repentance,  were  really  rebaptized.  It  is. 
not  easy  to  determine  what  degree  of  credit  is  due  to 
the  reports  of  some  travellers. 

There  is  no  fixed  time  in  the  Greek  church  for  the 
administration  of  baptism  to  infants,  but  it  is  generally 
performed  on  the  eighth  or  tenth  day.  The  ceremony 
requires  beside  baptism  a  godfather,  a  profession  of  faith, 
a  renunciation  of  Satan,  and  an  exorcism ;  in  case  of  immi- 
nent danger  of  death,  the  laity  may  baptize,  but  the  reg- 
ular administrator  is  a  priest.  The  baptismal  water  is 
consecrated,  and  in  winter  warmed,  and  perfumed  with 
sweet  herbs. 

Some  scrupulous  Christians  question  the  propriety, 
if  not  the  validity,  of  a  baptism  administered  in  warm 
water  :  but  there  are  many  instances  in  history  of  bap- 
tizing in  waters  naturally  hot,  or  in  others  artificially 
warmed,  and  although  some  are  evidently  cases  of  ca- 
price, yet  others  are  as  clearly  cases  of  necessity,  as  op<& 
example  of  each  will  shew. 

(4)  Johansis  Ulrici  Wildtii  Secies.  JEthiopka.  Argentorati  1 672, 


456  ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM    IN    THE 

In  the  twelfth  century  a  Swedish  Catholick  bishop, 
named  Otho,  travelled  into  the  country  of  the  Ulme- 
rui^ians,  now  Pomerania,  and  taught  a  great  number 
of  the  natives,  whom  he  caused  his  assistants  to  baptize 
in  bathing-tubs  let  into  the  ground,  and  surrounded 
with  curtains  :  and,  as  the  weather  was  excessive  cold, 
he  ordered  large  fires  to  be  made,  it  should  seem,  for 
the  purpose  of  dissolving  ice  to  supply  the  tubs  with 
water.  In  such  a  rigorous  season  it  was  a  case  of 
Jiecessity. 

In  the  history  of  the  conversions  of  barbarous  nations 
to  Catholicism,  there  are  innumerable  instances  of  the 
caprice  of  the  converts,  and  of  the  ingenuity  of  Cathol- 
ick missionaries  to  accommodate  baptism  to  their  versa- 
tility. The  island  of  Iceland,  which  is  situated  between 
sixty-four  and  sixty-seven  degrees  of  north  latitude, 
and  which  now  belongs  to  the  crown  of  Denmark,  was 
in  the  tenth  century  in  a  condition  similar  to  that  in 
which  the  late  Captain  Cook  describes  the  Sandwich 
and  other  islands  of  the  South  Sea.  At  the  close  of  the 
tenth  century,  Christianity,  such  as  it  was,  was  intro- 
duced among  the  Icelanders,  and  some  of  their  chiefs 
were  at  the  same  time  pirates,  law-givers,  homicides, 
and  missionaries  in  holy  orders.  Some  they  decoyed. 
So  Thangbrand  allured  Hallr,  and  he  and  all  his  family 
were  baptized  in  a  part  of  a  river  since  called  Thvatta. 
One  would  not  be  baptized,  unless  he  were  allowed 
rank  in  Norway.  Another  complied  only  on  condition 
Olafr,  king  of  Norway,  would  stand  godfather  for  him. 
When  the  chiefs  in  a  publick  assembly  had  agreed  to 
submit  to  such  laws  as  Thorgeir  should  prescribe,  and 
when  Thorgeir  had  proposed  that  they  should  all  be 
baptized,  they  refused  to  comply  except  on  condition 
they  should  be  baptized  in  hot  baths,  for  they  unani- 
mously declared  "they  would  not  be  baptized  i  kalt 
liatn^  in  cold  water."  There  is  in  this  frozen  island  a 
burning  mountain,  named  Hecla,  a  volcano  more  furious 
than  Vesuvius,  and  exceeded  in  Europe  only  by  Etna. 
There  are  also  many  hot  baths,  and  in  these,  by  the  ad- 
vice of  Snorro,  a  chief  and  a  priest,  they  were  baptized. 
This  was  mere  caprice. 

To  return.  When  the  ceremony  of  baptism  is  per- 
formed at  church,  the  priest  takes  the  naked  child,  puts 


GREEK  AND   ROMAN   CHURCHES.  457 

oil  into  the  palm  of  his  hand,  and  anoints  him  all  over  ; 
then  holding  him  uprii^ht  with  both  his  hands,  his 
face  being  turned  toward  the  east,  he  says,  Be  thou, 
servant  of  God,  Peter,  baptized  in  the  naine  of  the  Fath- 
er, and  dips  him  once,  the  godfather  saying,  Amen,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  dips  him  again,  the  godfather  repeating 
a  second  time.  Amen,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  now  and 
foreiier.  Amen,  and  dips  him  a  third  time,  the  godfather 
bowing  again,  and  repeating  Amen,  After  a  {^w 
prayers,  during  which  the  child  is  wrapped  in  his  man- 
tle, the  priest  anoints  him  on  the  forehead,  eyes,  nostrils, 
mouth,  ears,  breast,  hands,  and  feet,  repeating  at  each 
application  of  the  unguent,  the  seal  of  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  Amen.  This  unguent  is  a  composition  of 
storax,  balsam,  cassia,  myrrh,  and  the  decoction  of 
twenty  different  drugs,  seeds,  and  plants,  mixed  up 
with  wine  and  oil,  and  consecrated  by  a  bishop.  Many 
writers  render  the  baptismal  words,  the  servant  of  God 
is  baptized  :  but  others  observe,  they  ought  to  be  ren- 
dered imperatively,  be  the  servant  of  God  baptized,  or 
let  the  servant  of  God  be  baptized,  or  be  thou,  servant 
of  God,  baptized.  Many  disputes  have  been  occasion- 
ed by  this  form,  for  the  Roman  casuists  doubted  of  the 
validity  of  such  baptisms  on  account  of  the  apparent 
ungrammatical  use  of  the  word.  In  the  pontificate  of 
Urban  viii.  the  question  was  by  his  order  referred  to  a 
committee  of  learned  divines.  They  held  five  congre- 
gations on  the  business,  and  concluded  it  by  six  resolu- 
tions, which  may  be  seen  in  the  learned  Asseman  (5). 

Several  new  objects  rise  to  view  in  this  sort  of  bap- 
tism, and  a  moment's  attention  ought  to  be  paid  to  con- 
secration, renunciation  of  Satan,  exorcism,  and  unction. 
It  is  not  improbable,  that  all  the  fine  things  said  by  the 
fathers  on  these  subjects  are  to  be  considered  as  apolo- 
gies for  customs  in  being  rather  than  as  reasons  for  the 
institution  of  them.  It  is  very  credible  that  unction 
both  before  and  after  baptism  (for  here  are  tv/o,  an  a- 
nointing  all  over  with  olive  oil  before  dipping,  and  an  ap- 
plication of  unguent  to  particular  parts  after  it)  it  is  cred- 
ible that  these  came  in  originally  from  the  customary 

(5)  Jos.  Simon.  Assemani.  Bibliotheca  Oriental  Tom.iii.  Par.ii.  Romx. 
1728.  p.  ecxlviii. 

58 


458  ADMINISTRATION   OF  BAPTISM  IN  THE 

manner  of  bathing  and  perfuming.  To  be  baptized 
was  to  go  into  a  bath :  nothing  could  be  more  natural 
and  inoffensive  than  the  doing  of  that  in  baptism  which 
was  every  where  done  in  common  bathing.  The  fath- 
ers, undesignedly,  called  oihng  on  this  occasion  a  receiv- 
ing the  oil  of  gladness  ;  this  unction,  they  said,  was  a  being 
anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  their  fellows  (6). 
1  heir  successors  thought  there  was  something  charming 
in  the  sounds,  and  at  length  they  found  great  mysteries 
in  the  ceremonies.;  and  when  this  idea  had  been  affixed 
to  them,  it  became  heresy  to  gainsay,  for  to  omit  the 
eeremony  was  interpreted  a  contempt  of  the  mysterVg, 
and  consequently  a  rejection  of  that  God,  whose  sacred 
revelation  was  a  repository  of  the  names.  Jesus  was 
called  the  Christ,  and  Christ  signified  anointed  :  the 
spirit  was  likened  to  oil ;  grace  was  an  unction  :  the 
Jewish  kings  were  anointed  :  the  vvoman  in  the  gospel 
anointed  Jesus  before  his  burying:  and  it  was  only  Judas 
who  would  have  had  ointment  sold.  Beside,  the  wrest- 
lers used  to  anoint  before  they  entered  for  the  prize  at 
the  publick  games.  O  it  was  wonderful  to  behold  the 
conformities !  Divines  give  three  and  twenty  senses  to 
the  word,  and  eight  mystical  reasons  for  the  practice  (7)  ; 
but  there  is  a  ninth  which  they  have  not  given,  but  which 
bids  fair  to  outweigh  them  all,  that  is,  some  of  the  first 
Christians  bathed  at  baptism  as  all  Jews  and  all  their 
Pagan  neighbours,  who  had  never  heard  of  Christian 
reasons,  bathed  at  other  times,  for  all  made  use  of  lini-» 
ments  (8). 

Consecration  evidently  came  from  the  primitive  pious 
custom  of  praying  at  the  water-side  before  the  adminis- 
tration of  baptism,  as  it  would  be  easy  to  prove  (9).  A 
custom  in  itself  so  simple,  so  natural  and  projjer,  that 
noihiiig  but  a  mind  teeming  with  allegory  could  pervert 
it :  but  an  eloquent  allegorist  can  give  "  to  airy  nothings 
a  local  habitation  and  a  name,"  and  from  the  simple  cir- 

(6)  Severi  Alexandrin.  De  bapt.  Lib.  Tunc  signat  oleo  olivac  sacerdofi 
eum  qui  baptizatur  —  atque  in  hiinc  modum  dicit,   signetur  talis  N.  oleo 

Ixtitiae Cyrilli  Alex.  Esai.  Cap.  Iv    serm-     Illud  oleum  propheta  sig^ 

nificat,  quo  in  baptismo  inungimur,  quod  est  signum  spiritus  sancli,  &c.    \ 

(7)  Joan  Botsacci  Moral-  Gedanens  Unctia.  J.  Vicecomitis  De  bapt. 
Lib.  ii.  Cap,  xxxvi.  Cur  baptizandi  oleo  inungerentur. 

(8)  Ruth  iii.  3 2  Sam.  xii.   20. xiv.   2..-,.Esther  ii.l2.-.= 

Clem.  Alex.  P<edagog.  ii Georgii  Fabricii  Roma.  Cap.  xviii.  He  Batnei:. 

(9)  Constitut.  Apostol.  Lib.  vii.  Cap.  43. 


CREEK  AND  ROMAN  CHURCHES,  459 

cumstance  of  a  man's  fetching  his  breath  during  bap- 
tism, infer  the  necessity  of  a  bishop's  breathing  into 
water  to  give  purity  to  that,  and  validity  to  the  adminis- 
tration. A  priest  u^as  a  representative  of  Jesus,  and 
Jesus  had  breathed  on /lis  disciples^  and  saidy  recehe ye 
the  Holy  Ghost.  What  a  subject  of  inexhaustible  elo- 
quence for  an  ancient  Greek  father ! 

Laying  aside  allegory  the  fact  was  this.  It  was  a  true 
saying  of  the  apostle  John,  IVe  are  ofGod^  and  the  whole 
'world  lieth  in  the  wicked  one  ;  for  Paganism  had  pol. 
luted  every  thing  with  idolatry.  Cities  were  disgraced 
with  the  odious  names  of  profligate  demons.  The  woods 
were  inhabited  by  Dryads,  and  the  waters  by  Naiads. 
Neptune  ruled  the  ocean,  and  every  fountain  had  its 
deity  and  its  worshippers.  A  safe  voyage  procured  an 
altar  and  an  offering  to  one  demon  ;  and  a  pleasant 
bathing  a  temple  to  another  :  monuments  of  these  su- 
perstitions are  yet  remaining.  When  Christians  went 
down  to  rivers  to  pray  and  to  dip,  when  they  bowed 
<iown  and  laved  themselves  in  the  waves,  the  whole  to 
Pagan  spectators  would  have  the  air  of  acknowledging 
and  worshipping  the  god  of  the  stream.  How  natural 
and  proper  was  it  for  the  primitive  Christians  on  these 
occasions  to  renounce  the  demon  of  the  water !  This, 
it  should  seem,  is  the  true  origin  of  exorcising  w^ater.  A 
learned  Catholick  hath  rendered  it  very  probable  that 
idolatry  originated  in  hieroglyphicks,  which  in  Egypt 
were  at  first  proper  signals  of  events  well  understood  by 
the  people,  but  which  in  other  countries,  where  the 
Phoenician  merchants  carried  them,  were  mysterious, 
and  were  mistaken  for  representations  of  heroes,  to  whom 
poets  affixed  fabulous  histories,  and  so  at  length  they 
became  gods(l).  Perhaps  there  is  not  a  single  super- 
stition among  Christians,  which  may  not  be  traced  to 
some  very  just  and  proper  action  as  its  origin. 

Renunciation  of  Satan,  exorcism,  which  is  an  adju- 
ration that  drives  away  malignant  spirits,  and  exsuffla- 
tion,  which  is  a  blast  of  breath  expelling  evil,  and  com- 
municating moral  good,  ought  all  to  go  together  ;  for 
they  all  belong  to  one  subject.  An  history  of  the  bap- 
tismal devil  would  be  curious,  and  would  abundantly 
display,  in  this  one  instance  at  least,  the  amazing  power 

(1)  Pluche's  History  of  the  Heavens. 


460  ADMINISTRATION   OF  BAPTISM  IN  THE 

of  metaphysical  terms  to  excite  fancy,  and  to  annihilate 
reason  in  religion.  Such  an  historian,  before  he  pro- 
ceeds to  cast  the  devil  out  of  an  infant,  ought  to  inquire 
how  he  got  in,  and  before  that,  who  and  what  this  same 
devil  is,  for  unless  he  be  described,  and  distinguished 
so  as  to  be  perfectly  known  from  every  other  being, 
a  fatal  mistake  may  be  made,  and  something  better 
than  himself  may  be  cast  out  in  his  name  and  stead. 
The  fact  seems  to  be  this.  When  a  converted  Jew  em- 
braced the  Christian  religion  by  being  baptized,  he 
professed  to  the  person  who  baptized  him,  either  by  words 
or  by  actions,  and  generally  by  both,  to  lay  aside  the 
body  of  sin,  that  is,  all  the  sins  committed  by  the  body; 
stealing,  an  action  of  the  hand  ;  swearing,  an  exercise  of 
the  tongue,  and  so  on  :  but  when  a  converted  Pagan 
applied  for  baptism,  something  more  was  required  of 
him,  for  his  condition  rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to 
renounce  demonology,  or  the  whole  ritual  of  the  Pagan 
religion  (2).  Both  renounced  the  pomps  of  the  world, 
understanding  by  this  word  theatrical  amusements,  pub- 
lick  shows,  races,  games,  and  so  on,  all  which  primitive 
Christians  thought  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  and  practice 
of  the  pure  religion  of  Jesus  (3).  When  Christians 
began  to  baptize  their  little  infants,  they  found  these 
forms  in  use  at  the  administration  of  the  ordinance,  and 
they  heard  them  explained  according  to  the  metaphv  sicks 
of  the  times,  not  of  Pagan  demons,  as  Mars  and  Apollo, 
nor  of  a  scripture  demon  which  was  a  disease,  as  lunacy 
or  an  epilepsy,  or  a  defect,  as  dumbness  or  deafness  : 
but  of  a  real  literal  eastern  intelligent  evil  being,  whom 
the  Persians  called  Akermam ;  the  Egyptians, Typhon ; 
the  Greeks  and  Romans,  Pluto  ;  the  philosophers,  matter, 
darkness,  night,  death ;  hereticks,  the  God  of  the  old 
economy  ;  Cabalists,  Samael  ;  and  Christians,  the 
devil  (4). 

There  were  in  the  Pagan  world  two  sorts  of  demons, 
to  whom  divine  honours  were  paid,  the  souls  of  men 
deified  or  canonized  after  death,  and  separate  spirits. 
A  late  learned  prelate  hath  proved,  beyond  all  rea- 
sonable contradiction,  that  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles 

(2)  Bedae  Lib.  ii.  Cap.  xix. 

(3)  Tertulliani  de  Spectaculis.  Cap.  vii.  J^e  Apparatibus. 

(4)  Ilerbelot  Bibliot.  Orient. 


GREEK  AND   ROMAN   CHURCHES,  461 

guarded  Christians  against  the  doctrines  of  demons,  that 
is,  doctrines  of  which  demons  were  the  subjects,  and 
that  he  foretold,  the  grand  apostacy  would  consist  in 
this  docti'ine,  reduced  to  practice  (5).  It  is  natural  to 
suppose,  tlie  primitive  Christians  would  guard  this  pass, 
and  require  their  converts  at  baptism  wholly  to  renounce 
the  worship  of  demons,  because  Jesus  was  not  what 
the  Athenians  thought,  one  new  demon  to  be  added  to 
the  former  list :  but  he  taught  the  worship  of  one  infi- 
nite God,  a  worship  that  could  not  coalesce  with  that  of 
demons,  but  was  subversive  and  destructive  of  it  (6). 
Renouncing  pomps,  too,  in  the  sense  just  now  mentioned, 
was  a  renunciation  of  all  such  professions  and  trades  as 
had  any  connection  with  idolatry  or  vice  (7).  They  re- 
jected statuaries,  founders,  and  others  who  made  idols : 
comedians,  gladiators,  musicians,  and  others  who  lived 
by  performing  at  the  publick  amusements :  people  con- 
cerned in  the  stews,  and  even  such  as  went  into  the 
army  for  pay  to  shed  blood.  This,  it  should  seem,  is  the 
true  origin  of  the  baptismal  renunciation ;  and  if  it  be,  it 
affords  a  probable  argument  in  favour  of  adult  baptism. 
That  people  of  mature  age  should  renounce  the  Pagan 
deities,  and  criminal  trades,  is  very  credible ;  but  that 
the  primitive  Christians  should  imagine  every  infant 
born  full  of  devil,  in  the  English  popular  sense  of  the 
word,  and  that  water  could  wash  him  away,  is  not  quite 
so  likely. 

The  exorcisms  used  in  the  western  church,  though 
not  so  gross,  are  evidently  copied  from  the  Greek 
rituals  (8).  That  at  baptism  is  a  sort  of  conversation 
between  the  priest  and  Satan,  whom  the  man  of  God  is 
directed,  looking  at  the  infant,  to  address  in  this  manner. 
*4  commaunde  the  uncleane  spirite,  in  the  name  of  the 

(5)  Bishop  Newton    on    the  Prophesies.   Vol.  ii.    Diss,  xxiii.  St.  Paul's 

Prophecy  of  the   Apostacy  of  the  Latter  Times,    1  Tim.  iv.  1,  2,  3 The 

spirit  speakelh  expressly  that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  apostatize 
from  the  iaiih,  giving  heed  to  erroneous  spirits,  and  doctrines  concerning 

devious 1    Cor.  x.  21.   Ye  cannot  drink  of  the  cup  of  tlie  Lord,  and  the 

cuj)  of  demons  :  ye  cannot  be  partakers  of  the  Lord's  table,  and  of  the  table 
ei demons St.  John— Rev.  ix.  20— they  should  not  worship  demons. 

(6)  Acts  xvii.  18. 

(7     Encyclopedic  Bapteme. 

(8)  Eiicholog.  ubi  sup.  pag.  .336.  Adjuro  ergo  te  nequam,  et  immundc, 
et  foetide,  et  abominande,  et  aliene  spiritus— Discede,  et  vanam  fortitudi- 
nem  luam.neque  in  pueros  praevalescentem  agnosce.  Recordare  ejus,  qui 
ad  petitionem  tnam  ut  in  porcorum  gregenr.  ingredereris  permisit,  Sic. 


462  ABMINISTRATION   OF  BAPTISM  IN   THE 

Father,  and  of  the  Sonne,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghoste,  that 
thou  come  out  and  depart  from  these  infaiues,  whom  our 
Lord  Jtsus  Christ  hath  vouchsaved  to  cal  to  his  holyc 
baptisme  to  be  made  membres  of  his  body  and  of  his  holye 
congregation.  Therefore  thou  cursed  spi'-yte,  remem- 
bre  thy  sentence,  remembre  thy  indgeniente,  remembre 
the  dale  to  be  at  hande,  wherin  thou  shalt  burne  in 
fyre  everlastinge,  prepared  for  the  and  thy  aungels, 
and  presuriie  not  hereafter  to  exercise  any  tyranny 
toward  tnese  infantes,  whome  Christ  hath  bought  with 
hys  precious  blood,  and  by  this  his  holy  baptisme  calleth 
to  be  of  his  Hocke.''  There  is  no  msiance  of  Satan's  pre- 
suming to  reply  to  this  unanswerable  adjuration,  though 
it  hath  been  reported  he  pinciied  the  children  at  his  exit, 
and  set  them  a  shrieking. 

It  hath  been  aihrmed  that  the  Greeks  are  Anabaptists  : 
but  this  is  not  fair,  for  they  do  not  repeat  baptism. 
Indeed,  there  is  one  officer  in  the  church,  called  the 
Baptibt  or  Dipper,  and  there  is  another  called  the 
Catechist,  whose  business  it  is  to  prepare  people  for 
baptism  by  instruction  :  but  this  only  regards  either 
such  as  have  never  been  baptized  before  in  any  way,  or 
such  as  have  not  had  what  the  Greeks  call  the  essence  of 
baptism  (9).  Tie  reason  is  plain  :  dipping  includes 
sprinkling,  but  sprinkling  doth  not  include  dipping. 
This  explains  many  anecdotes  of  the  Russian  history, 
and  particularly  what  General  Gordon  says  on  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Empress  Catharine,  consort  of  Peter  the 
Great  (1).  "  She  was  called  Catherina  Vasilowna  :  but 
as  she  became  of  the  Greek  church,  her  name  Avas 
changed  to  Alexowna,  the  Czarowich  Alexis  standing 
godfather  to  her  at  the  font  :  the  Greek  church  admit- 
ting none  into  her  communion  of  the  reformed  reiigion, 
but  who  must  be  baptized  anew."     If  this  be   Anabap- 

(9)  Morini  Be  sacr.  ordinat.  p.  170.  Explic.  off-cior.  sand  et  magn. 
Eccleiix.        Catechista   catechizat   et   docet  popiilum,   et   omnes  qui   ex 

heterodoxis  ad  orthodoxos  veniiint,    et    baptizandi   sunt IramersoT 

infantem  apprehendit,  et  ilium  immergit  et  baptizat. 

TRANSLATION. 

Morin  on  the  established  sacraments,  p.  170.  Illustration  of  the  holy 
offices  of  the  Grear.  Church.  The  catechist  cutechises  and  teaches  the 
people,  ard  all  who  come  over  from  the  heterodox  to  orthodox  are  to  be 
baptized.  The  Immerser  or  Dipper  takes  the  child,  and  immerses  and 
baptizes  it.  '  lEditor. 

(1)  Alex.  Gordon's  Hist,  of  Peter  the  Great.  Aberdeen.  1775.  Vol.  ii. 
p.  258.    Bookxvi. 


CREEK   AND   ROMAN    CHURCHES.  463 

tism,  the  Greek  is  an  Anabaptist  church  :  but  so  are 
all  churches,  for  all  baptize  when  they  think  the  essence 
hath  been  omitted.  The  church  of  Rome  doth  so 
when  the  proper  words  have  been  omitted  (2). 

OF    BAPTISM    IN    THE    ROMAN    CHURCH. 

In  the  sixteenth  century  the  Baptists  and  the  Roman 
Catholicks  were  at  the  two  extremes  of  the  history  of 
baptism  ;  the  Lutherans  and  Calvinists  like  arbitrators 
came  in  and  settled  the  difference,  but  not  to  the 
satisfaction  of  either  party.  The  Baptists  held  that 
nothing  but  baptism  was  essential  to  baptism  (3)  :  but 
the  Catholicks,  beside  baptism,  held  the  necessity  of  no 
less  than  two  and  twenty  ceremonies,  which  they  had 
affixed  to  it  :  twelve  preparatory  to  baptism,  five  at  the 
administration  of  it,  and  five  after  it.  So  Cardinal 
Bellarmine  states  the  .business  (4).  Others  make  many 
more,  and  as  each  ceremony  included  several  rites,  the 
whole  ought  to  be  multiplied  certainly  by  five,  or 
probably  by  ten,  so  that  a  valid  baptism  included  more 
than  one,  and  perhaps  more  than  two  hundred  ceremo- 
nies.    A  single  article  will  shew  the  truth  of  this  obser- 

(2)  Encyclopedic.  Bapteme. 

(3)  Johan,  Wigandi.  ^pisc.  Pomezaniens.  De  Anabaptismo.  p.  129. 
Lipsise.  1582.  Arguvienta  Anabaptistarwn.  Conatur  Menno  Dux  et  fax 
Anabaptistarum,  in  suo  libro  ciii  fundainenti  titulurr.  prsefixit,  etiani 
refutare   argumenta  orthodoxormn.     Menno  affirmat.      Absque  mandato 

Dei   in    ecclesia    Christi    nihil    est    faciendum Qtiicquid    non    est   ex 

expresso  Dei  verba  institutum,  id   non  est  observandiim Signa  noti  sunt 

alitor    usurpanda,    quam    ut    Christus   mandavit Christi    ordinatio    in 

\isurpatione  baptismi  rethierida  est Sicut  Christus  instituit,  ita  et  apos- 

toli  administrarunt  baptismum,  he.  > 

TRAJSTSLATIOIT. 

John  Wigandus,  Bishop  of  Pomezaniens,  on  Anabaptism.  p.  129,  Printed 
at  Lipsic.  1582.  Arguments  of  the  Anabaptists.  Menno,  tlie  leader  and 
torch  of  the  Anabaptists,  in  his  book  entitled  the  Foundafinn  of  Ciiristian. 
ity,  even  endeavours  to  refute  the  arguments  of  the  orthodox.  Menno 
affirms  that  nothing  ought  to  be  done  in  the  Church  of  Christ  without  a 
divine  command.     Whatever  is  not  established  by  an  express  command 

of  God  ought  not  to  be  observed The  ordinances  are  to  be  used  in  no 

other  way  than  as  Christ  has  commanded The  appointment  of  Christ 

in  the  use  of  baptism  is  to  be  retained As  it  was  instituted  by  Christ, 

30  it  was  administered  by  the  Apostles,   &c. 

[Truly  these  are  not  the  words  of  an  heretical  madman,  however  bish- 
op Wigandus  may  have  esteemed  them.  Edit9r.\ 

(4)  De  sacram.  baptismi.    Cap.  xxv. 


464  ADMINISTRATION   OF   BAPTISM   IN   THE 

vation  ;  for  it  is  not  worth  while  accurately  to  investi- 
gate a  subject  so  frivolous.  One  ceremony  was  the 
consecration  of  the  baptismal  water.  Prior  to  the  con- 
secration of  any  thing,  a  prelate  must  be  created.  The 
consecration  of  water  required  a  procession,  which  pro- 
cession was  all  made  up  of  consecrated  persons^  as 
priests,  deacons,  acolothysts,  and  so  on  :  consecrated 
things,  as  tapers,  crosses,  flags,  and  so  forth  :  consecrat- 
ed habits,  as  dalmaticks,  copes,  girdles,  and  so  on  : 
consecrated  utensils,  as  the  chrismatory,  censers,  and 
the  rest.  The  consecration  of  baptismal  water  presup- 
posed a  consecrated  place,  as  a  baptistery,  a  chapel,  a 
bath,  a  cistern,  a  font,  or  some  fixture  of  the  kind. 
The  consecration  of  water  required,  prayers,  benedictions^ 
the  pouring  in  of  chrism,  which  had  been  before  made 
by  many  ceremonies,  the  melting  and  extinguishing  of 
a  V)ax  taper,  the  crossing  of  the  water,  and  the  rest  ;  so 
that  the  consecration  of  water  for  baptism,  which  is  call- 
ed only  one  of  the  twenly-two  ceremonies,  included  a 
great  numl:>er  of  ceremonies  ;  and  there  is  no  exaggera- 
tion in  affirming,  that  the  two  and  twenty  ceremonies  of 
baptism  ought  to  be  multiplied  by  five  or  ten,  or  perhaps 
by  a  greater  number.  When  the  reformers  took  up 
the  subject  they  acted  differently,  but  all  according  to 
their  own  principles.  The  Catholicks  retained  all,  for 
precedent  was  their  law  (5).  The  Baptists  rejected  the 
whole,  because  they  limited  positive  rites  to  positive 
scriptural  institution,  and  of  course  the  reason  for  reject- 
ing one  was  on  their  principles  a  reason  for  rejecting  all 
(6).  On  this  ground  they  rejected  infants.  The 
Lutherans  and  Calvinists  distinguished  between  what 
they  called  the  substance  of  baptism,  and  the  accidents  of 
it,  and  they  retained  the  first,  which  was  the  baptism  of 
infants  and  adults  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  and  of  the 
last  they  dismissed  some,  and  reserved  others,  calling 
them  indifterent.  They  acted  on  the  old  Papal  principle  of 
church  authority  :    and  assuming  the   second  position, 

(5)  Bell.  Omnes  enim  ritus,  quibus  nunc  utimur,  antiquissimi  sunt,  et 
vel  ex  apnstoloruin  traditione  manarunt,  vel  a  sanctissimis  patribus  instituti 
sunt,  quonim  auctoritas,  prjesertim  tot  saeculis  jam  confirmata,  plus  apud 
nos  valere  debet  quam  novatoruni  clamores. 

(6")  Wigandi  Progressio  Anabaptistm.     p.  448.  anno  1529.      Alia  dispu* 

tatio    BasilejE Sed   Anabaptists  manent  atri   iEthiopes,  quaotumvis 

aqua  pura  laventur. 


CREEK    AND    ROMAN    CHURCHES.  465 

that  they  themselves  were  the  churchy  a  position  which 
each  party  assumed,  they  compiled  rituals  and  creeds  ; 
and,  what  was  very  reprehensible,  in  cities  where  they 
were  as  exiles,  and  lived  only  by  the  toleration  of  the 
majjjistrates,  they  printed  standards  of  faith  and  practice, 
exacted  subscription,  and  resohed  to  tolerate  nobody, 
particularly  naming  Papists  and  Anabaptists.  Let  it  not 
seem  strange  that  they  uiiited  parties  so  very  difleient 
in  one  cla.ss  as  ol)jects  of  horror.  In  this  case  they 
acted  consistently.  Their  design  was  to  frame  a  relig- 
ion and  enforce  it  by  law.  The  Catholicks  opposed  the 
project  as  an  invasion  of  their  rights  :  for  although 
they  allowed  the  principle,  yet  they  vindicated  their 
own  exclusive  right  to  the  practice.  The  Baptists 
denied  the  principle,  itself,  and  of  consequence  oppos- 
ed the  practice  as  a  tyranny  every  where.  This  is  a 
vague  general  notion  of  the  affair. 

To  return.  The  twenty-two  ceremonies,  divided  into 
three  classes,  are  thus  arranged  by  his  Eminer.ce.  The 
twelve  that  precede  baptism  are  the^e  :  i.  Giving  in  a 
name  and  a  request  to  be  baptized,  anciently  called,  be- 
coming a  Com-petent.  ii.  The  scrutiny  :  asking  and 
answering  q<.  e^tions.  iii.  Renouncing  Satan,  iv.  The 
profession  of  faith,  v.  Giving  and  receiving  the  sign  of 
the  cross  in  the  forehead  and  the  breast,  vi.  Exorcism, 
vii.  Exsufflation,  by  which  devils  are  expelled  :  and 
insufflation,  by  which  the  Spirit  of  God  is  communi- 
cated, viii.  Giving  and  taking  salt.  ix.  The  Ephatha, 
or  the  opening  by  the  application  of  spittle  to  the  nos- 
trils and  the  ears.  x.  The  imposition  of  hands,  and  the 
benediction,  xi.  Unction  xii.  Abstinence  from  vviue, 
flesh,  and  conjugal  intercourse.  The  fi\e  at  baptism 
are  :  i.  The  imposition  of  a  name.  ii.  The  assistance 
of  sponsors,  iii.  Consecration  of  the  water,  iv.  Trine 
immersion,  v.  The  time  of  the  passover  or  pentecost  : 
except  ii^  cases  of  necessity.  The  third  class,  w  hich 
follow  baptism,  are,  i.  The  kiss  of  peace,  ii.  The 
chrismal  unction.  iii.  The  lighted  taper  iv.  Tnc 
white  garment,  v.  IMie  milk  and  h<.ney.  The  Cardi- 
nal undertakes  to  detend  all  t'nese  in  theory,  but,  it  is 
dear,  they  were  not  all  in  practice  :  some  had  become 


4G6  ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISxM    IN    THE 

obsolete,  as  the  milk  and  honey,  and  the  scrutiny  :  oth- 
ers were  not  ceremonies,  strictly  speaking,  but  neces- 
sary preparations,  as  the  giving  in  of  a  name,  the  request 
to  be  baptized,  and  a  profession  of  faith,  although  the 
church  had  rendered  each  ceremonious  by  affixing  rites 
to  it.  It  may  suffice  just  to  remark  the  date  of  each. 
The  first  and  most  ancient  affix  to  baptism  was  the  a- 
nointing  with  olive  oil  immediately  before  it.  This 
came  in  about  the  close  of  the  second  century,  when 
Greeks  of  family  and  fortune  first  began  to  embrace 
Christianity.  They  considered  baptism  as  a  bathing, 
and  it  was  natural  to  them  to  use  the  same  precautions 
as  in  common  bathing.  Perfumed  unguents  followed 
of  course,  and  the  refreshment  of  milk  and  honey  in 
Africa  was  equally  natural.  Some  very  learned  Protes- 
tants warmly  contend,  that  no  perfumed  unguents  were 
used  during  the  first  three  centuries  (7).  If  they  mean, 
they  were  not  used  in  common,  it  should  seem  they 
cannot  be  contradicted  :  but  it  is  very  credible,  that  oil 
before  and  perfumes  after  came  in  together,  and  an  hun- 
dred years  is  not  too  long  a  time  to  allow  for  this  ex- 
pensive luxury  of  the  gentry  to  creep  down  to  the  pop- 
ulace, and  to  become  a  general  custom.  The  other 
ceremonies  came  pouring  in  like  a  tide  along  with  the 
monks  in  the  fourth,  fifth,  and  following  centuries,  and 
the  reduction  of  them  to  children  was  a  work  of  time. 
That  most  learned  and  perfect  judge  of  ecclesiastical 
antiquities.  Monsieur  Daille,  treating  on  this  subject  in 
answer  to  Cardinal  Bellarmine,  takes  occasion  to  up- 
braid the  church  of  Rome  with  insincerity  in  boasting  of 
her  conformity  to  antiquity.  He  proves  by  unquestion- 
able authorities,  that  trine  immersion,  first  mentioned  in 
the  close  of  the  second,  or  at  the  beginning  of  the  third 
century,  was  the  invariable  practice  of  the  Catholick 
church,  both  Greek  and  Roman,  till  about  the  6th  cen- 
tury, when  the  Spanish  Catholicks  adopted  single  im- 
mersion :  that  although  Gregory  i.  allowed  the  validity 
of  immersion  in  the  case  of  the  Spaniards,  yet  he  says 
the  Romans  practised  trine  immersion,  that  a  synod  of 
Constantinople  censured  the  Eunomians  for  practising 

(7)  Joan.  Dallsei  De  cult,  rdigios.  Latin.  Lib.li.  Cap.  xii.  Totis  tribus  pri- 
mis  secuUs  unam  fuisse  unctionem  ex  oleo,  nuUam  es  chi'ismate  sire  es 
>>alsan)e. 


GREEK    AND    ROMAN    CHURCHES."  467 

single  immersion  in  the  name  of  Christ,  the  apostoUcal 
canons  expressly  forbade  it,  and  Alcuin,  two  hundred 
years  after  Gregory,  censured  the  Spaniards  for  it,  as 
acting  contrary  to  universal  practice,  although  they 
baptized  in  the  three  names  :  that  notwithstanding  the 
opinion  of  Gregory,  and  the  practice  of  the  Spanish 
Catholicks,  trine  immersion  continued  to  be  universally 
practised  till  the  fifteenth  century  (he  might  have  added 
,  till  the  Reformatioi)  :  that  Basil,  Jerom,  Gregory  Nys- 
sen,  and  others,  pretended  at  first  it  was  an  apostolical 
tradition  :  that  their  successors  did  the  same :  that  there 
is  no  tradition  so  general :  that  the  Cardinal  allows  and 
even  proves  all  this  :  that  the  church  boasts  of  her  at- 
tachment to  ancient  tradition,  and  yet  neither  dips  three 
times,  nor  in  some  cases  once,  but  hath  fallen  into  an 
habit  of  pouring  or  sprinkling.  Where  then  is  her 
boasted  reverence  for  antiquity  (8)  ? 

It  is  certainly  a  curious  phenomenon,  that  a  set  of 
men  should  be  able  to  persuade  the  world,  during  at 
least  ten  successive  ages,  that  trine  immersion  was  an 
apostolical  tradition,  and  then  prove  for  several  succeed- 
ing ages,  that  aspersion  was  equally  valid.  It  seems  to 
imply  that  the  Catholick  laity  had  no  principles  at  all 
on  the  subject,  and  that  the  priests  being  in  power  said 
and  did  just  what  they  pleased.  The  truth  is,  the  first 
over-acted  their  part,  and  brought  their  successors  into 
diiHcultics,  which  they  were  obliged  to  surmount  as  well 
as  they  could.  A  brief  detail  may  serve  to  explain  this 
mystery. 

In  the  fourth  century  an  union  between  original  sin, 
and  the  efficacy  of  baptism  to  cleanse  it  away,  began  to 
discover  itself.  In  the  fifth,  Austin  employed  all  his  in- 
fluence to  establish  it.  In  the  sixth  and  seventh,  the 
monks  found  the  doctrine  of  original  sin  so  highly  fitted 
to  their  purpose,  that  they  sang  the  praise  of  the  fall,  as 
an  event  of  the  greatest  consequence  to  their  happiness. 

(8)  De  Cult,  ut  sup.  Cap,  xv.  Tertul Nee  semel,  sed  ter  trngimus 

Hieron.  In   lavacro  ter  caput   mergitare Basil.  Tcr  immergi  hominem, 

iinde  est  traditum? Ambros.  2>r  mergendus  aqua  est Leo.  Sepul- 

turam  tridiianam  imitatur  trina  demersio Chrysost.     Dominus  in  tribus 

mersionibus  aquae  unum  baptisma  discipulis^suis  tradidit Peleg.  Papa. 

In  nomine  trinitatis  trina  etiam  mcpstone Greg   1.     Nos  tertio  mergi- 

mus,  &c.  Hoc  exemplum,  si  vel  unum  esset,  nos  satis  docerit  istos  generi 
humano  nimium  secure  illudere,  cum  se  summos  antiquitatis  veneratoris 
et  cultores,  suaque  omnia  antiqua,  nihil  aptid  se  uavura  nihil  recens 
inveniri  gloriantur. 


A6Q  ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM    IN     THE 

One  abbot  stands  recorded  for  singularity,  because  he 
ordered  some  lines  to  be  erased,  and  the  practice  of 
singing  them  in  his  monastery  to  be  discontinued.  The 
voice  of  the  multitude,  however,  as  usual,  prevailed, 
and  for  many  ages  every  year  on  holy  Saturday,  or  there- 
abouts, at  the  benediction  of  the  paschal  taper,  all  cath- 
edral and  collegiate  churches  and  chapels,  except  those 
of  the  Carthusians,  resounded  with  the  hymn  Exultety  of 
which  this  li/ie  is  a  part  : 

O  happy  sin,  that  meritef!  such  and  so  great  a  Redeemer ! 

Every  book  was  full  of  the  subject;  and  those  of  the 
common  people,  just  before  the  Reformation,  when 
printing  began  to  put  books  into  their  hands,  abound 
with  frightful  en)blems  of  it.  In  the  prymer  of  Salis- 
bury^ the  compiler  informs  the  reader  there  are  contained 
•f^v^^..y  prayers  and  goodly  pyctures.  One  of  these  rep- 
resents the  condition  of  man  by  nature,  and  under  it 
are  these  words : 

A  childe  that  is  into  this  worlde  comynge 

Is  hardely  beset  with  many  a  So 

Whiche  ever  is  redy  to  his  undoynge 

The  worlde,  the  fleshe,  devill,  and  dethe  also. 

In  the  bed  lies  the  mother  with  woful  looks  at  the  com- 
pany and  hands  cl  isped.  At  her  side  lies  the  naked  new 
born  babe,  out  of  whose  mouth  on  a  label  proceeds  this 
reproach  :  ^lare  de  vulva  eduxisti  nie^  wherefore  hast 
thou  brought  me  forth  out  of  the  womb?  Job  x.  18. 
In  the  room  stands  the  world,  a  man  well  dressed  in  a  lay- 
habit  :  on  the  floor  sits  the  flesh,  a  plump  woman:  next 
the  bed  stands  the  devil,  as  ugly  as  horns,  and  claws,  and 
wide  mouth,  and  long  ears,  and  goat's  beard,  can  make 
him  (9).  By  every  method  the  clergy  tried  to  fill 
the  minds  of  the  people  with  horrible  ideas  of  God, 
their  neighbours,  and  themselves.  But  they  often 
spoke  so  ludicrously  of  their  most  sacred  institutes, 
that  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  they  ever  were  (in- 
dividuals excepted)  under  such  sad  and  serious  im- 
pressions as  they  pretended.  It  is  not  decent  to  give 
many  and  full  proofs,  but  an  example  of  one  of  the 
least  offensive  may  be  allowed.  At  the  beginning  of 
church  books,  calenders  were  naturally  placed.     It  was 

(9)  Prymer  of  Sc^isbury, 


GREEK    AND    ROMAN    CHURCHES.  469 

thought  convenient  to  give  in  rhyme  at  the  bottom  of 
each  month  a  memorandum  of  the  principal  festivals  of 
the  month,  and  of  vtather  and  ominous  days.  In  the 
month  of  August  there  were  six  chief  days  :  the  first,  the 
imprisonment  and  chaining  of  Saint  Peter :  the  second, 
the  transfiguration  of  Jesus  on  the  mount :  the  third,  the 
roasting  of  Saint  Lawrence  on  a  gridiron,  for  not  dis- 
covering the  money  of  the  church  :  the  fourth,  the  as- 
sumption of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary  :  the  fifth  is  the 
jBayingof  Saint  Bartholomew  :  and  the  sixth,  the  behead- 
ing of  Saint  John  Baptist.  Four  of  these  are  sad  events, 
but  they  are  all  described  thus  : 

Pe.  ter.  cal.  led.  for.  Je.  su. 

And.  bade.  Lau.  rence,  for.  to.  say.  true. 

Ma.   ry.  se.  yng.  all.  their,  debate. 

Made.  Bar.  thyll.  mew.  to.   breke.  Johns,  pate. 

That  is,     Peter  called  for  Jesn, 

And  bade  Laurence  lor  to  say  true: 

Mary  seeing  all  their  debate 

Made  Bartholomew   break  John's   pate. 

However  the  case  of  piety  might  be,  it  is  beyond 
all  doubt,  the  whole  Catholick  church  was  in  a  state  of 
such  deplorable  slavery,  that  it  would  be  an  insult  on 
reason  to  hold  up  the  religious  practices  of  the  times 
as  proof  of  the  real  sentiments  of  the  people  at  large. 
Submission  to  authority  was  an  abridgment  of  all  relig- 
ion, it  was  the  essence  of  education,  of  civil  polity,  of 
rites  and  ceremonies,  and  even  of  piety  itself. 

This  absolute  power  was  exercised  over  all  institutes  : 
and  it  is  expressed  at  large  in  canon  law,  and  in  brief  in 
rubricks.  Thus  the  rubricks  of  baptism  ordered  that 
the  priest  should  teach  their  parishioners  to  get  by 
heart  the  form  of  baptizing,  and  use  it  in  case  of  neces- 
sity :  "I  cristene  the  Peter  in  the  name  of  the  Father 
and  of  the  Sone  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen  (1)  :" 
that  they  should  charge  only  one  of  them  to  utter  the 
words  once  clearly  and  distinctly  word  for  word,  with- 
out repeating  any,  and  without  adding,  diminishing, 
transposing,  corrupting,  or  altering  any  thing  :  that 
they  should  order  them  to  dip  three  times,  or  once, 
or  sprinkle  in  cases  of  extreme  danger  :  that  none 
should  be  baptized  in  private  except  the  children  of 

4I)    Manuale  vt  sup.  De  Bapt,  Fo.  ^xpao. 


470  ABMINISTRATION    Of    BAPTISM    IN   THE 

kings  and  princes,  but  all  should  be  carried  to  church, 
unless  necessity  obliged  them  to  be  baptized  at  home  : 
that  in  case  fear  of  sudden  death  did  oblige  them  to 
baptize  at  home,  if  the  child  hved,  it  should  be  consid- 
ered only  as  half- baptized  ;  water  indeed  must  not  be 
re-applied,  lest  it  should  seem  to  countenance  Anabap- 
tism,  but  the  child  must  be  carried  to  church,  and 
the  omitted  ceremonies  adcted  :  that  in  the  case  of 
foundlings,  whether  they  were  salted  or  not,  they  should 
be  baptized  conditionally  :  with  many  more  such  pro- 
visions, for  which  no  authority  from  scripture  was  pre- 
tended, and  all  which  demonstrate  that  the  absolute 
power  of  binding  and  loosing,  claimed  in  other  cases, 
was  exercised  in  this,  and  of  course  that  baptism  was 
at  the  Reformation  in  a  state  of  extreme  corruption  in 
the  Catholick  Church.  In  case  of  danger  of  death  the 
twenty-two  ceremonies  necessary  to  baptism  were  all 
dispensed  with  :  and  yet  the  baptism  was  valid,  and 
the  infant  saved.  What  could  two  and  twenty  ceremo- 
nies do  more  ? 

In  exercises  of  piety,  the  stench  of  slavery  ascended 
along  with  the  sweet  incense  of  devotion,  and  prayer  to 
God  borrowed  the  language  of  the  court-rolls  of  a  feudal 
baron.  The  following  prayer  to  the  most  holy  Trinity- 
runs  in  this  style.  **  O  blyssed  trinite,  the  Fader  the 
Sonne  and  the  Holye  Goost,  thre  persons  and  one  God, 
1  blyeve  with  my  herte  and  confesse  with  my  mouth  al 
ihad  holy  chyrche  byleved  and  holded  of  the,  as  much 
as  a  good  Catholyck  and  Cristen  man  ought  to  do  and 
byleve  of  the,  and  I  proteste  here  before  thy  majeste 
that  I  weil  Ifve  and  dye  in  this  faith  and  continu  all  my 
lyfe.  And  in  knowledge  of  the  my  God,  fader  and 
maker  of  all  world,  I  thy  poore  creature  subjecte  and 
servante  do  make  to  the  faith  and  hommage  of  my  hody^ 
and  of  my  soule,  whiche  I  hold  of  the  nobly  as  my  so'uer- 
ayne  Lorde  and  God,  with  all  the  goddes  [goods]  natur- 
al, spiritual,  and  temporal,  that  I  have,  and  that  ever  I 
had,  and  also  that  I  intend  to  have  of  the  in  this  worlde 
here,  and  that  with  all  my  herte,  I  remercy  and  thanke 
the,  and  in  signe  of  the  cognoissance  and  knowledge  I 
pray  [pay]  unto  the  this  lytel  tribute  on  mornynge  and 
on  evenyng,  that  is  that  I  adoure  and  worshippe  the 
TPith  herte  and  mouthe  in  faith  in  hoppe  and  in  charite 


GREEK    AND    ROMAN    CHURCHES.  471 

with  this  lytell  orison  and  prayer,  wiche  allonely  appar- 
teineth  to  thy  blyssed  majeste,  signory  and  divinitc." 
In  the  next  prayer  are  these  words  :  ''  protestynge  that 
I  will  lyiie  and  dye  in  the  faith  of  holye  chyrche  ourc 
moder  and  thyne  espouse,  in  vvithnesse  of  this  confes- 
sion and  protestation  and  in  despite  of  the  fetide  of  hell, 
I  offre  to  the  Credo,  in  vvhiche  all  verite,  all  trithe,  is 
conteyned,  and  to  the  I  commende  my  soule,  my  faith, 
my  lyfe,  and  my  dethe.  Amen.  Credo  in  Deum." 
These  were  not  rhetorical  flights,  but  sober  declarations 
of  real  facts,  as  the  clergy  understood  them,  and  as  the 
people  were  made  to  profess  to  hold  them.  The  world 
was  a  great  lief  conquered  by  Jesus  Christ  from  the 
devil,  and  held  of  the  conqueror  as  sovereign  lord  under 
the  Pope  as  mesne  lord  between  the  lord  paramount  and 
his  tenants.  It  was  subject  to  feodal  return,  rent,  or 
service,  to  the  oath  of  fealty,  and  suit  to  the  lord's 
court,  and  to  reliefs  and  aids  payable  by  the  tenant  to 
the  lord.  On  this  principle  the  whole  system  of  eccle- 
siastical government  was  conducted,  and  out  of  it  rose 
investitures,  annates,  wardships,  marriages,  obits,  (a 
sort  of  ecclesiastical  heriots)  fines,  escheats,  the  fifteen 
oos  or  orisons  of  Saint  Bridget,  and  so  on.  In  this 
system  all  Christians  were  vassals,  baptism  was  the  cer- 
emony of  corporal  investiture,  and  the  unbaptized  part  of 
the  world  were  slaves  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  fighting 
against  their  sovereign  lord,  in  defence  of  a  counter- 
claim set  up  by  the  devil.  To  baptize  was  therefore 
called  to  christen. 

The  pictures  in  some  manuals  of  visiting  the  sick  and 
administering  the  last  sacrament  of  extreme  unction, 
represent  an  old  vassal  in  bed  expiring ;  de%'ils  on  the 
floor  and  at  the  bed's  feet  waiung  to  seize  their  prey 
in  vengeance  for  his  having  sworn  allegiance  to  another 
lord  ;  priests  at  the  bedside  with  lighted  tapers,  crosses, 
and  other  ensigns  of  protection,  and  an  angel  flying  up 
with  a  prayer  of  the  poor  man  to  the  lord  paramount^ 
who  shews  himself  at  an  opening  in  the  ceiliiig,  holding 
a  globe  to  signify  the  world,  surmounted  with  a  cross  to 
express  his  conquest,  and  spreading  out  two  fingers  and 
a  thumb  in  token  of  safety  to  hi^  man  through  episcopal 


472  ADMINISTRATION    OF     BAPTISM    IN    THE 

benediction  (2).     Religion  before  the  reformation  was  a 
system  of  tyranny  written  in  hieroglyphicks. 

The  publick  baptism  of  infants  by  dipping  or  pouring 
in  the  Roman  Catholick  church  is  conducted  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  (3).  The  company  with  the  child  wait 
without  the  church  door.  The  priest,  having  previously 
prepared,  by  due  consecration,  water,  and  all  the  other  ma- 
terials to  be  used  in  the  ceremony,  goes  to  the  door  and 
inquires  who  is  there  ?  The  godfather  answers  in  the 
name  of  the  child,  Stephen  such  an  one.  The  priest 
asks  what  he  wants?  the  godfather  tells  him,  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  tlie  church.  The  priest  demands  what  end 
he  proposes  in  coming  into  the  church  ?  He  is  answered, 
to  obtain  salvation.  Then  the  priest  exorcises  the  in- 
fant, and  the  devil  is  solemnly  adjured  to  depart,  and 
never  to  return,  as  before  in  the  Greek  Church.  Next 
he  puts  salt  into  the  mouth  of  the  hifant ;  signs  him 
nith  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  several  parts  of  his  body  ; 
and  with  spittle  on  his  finger  touches  his  nostrils 
and  his  ears,  pronouncing  at  each  part  sentences,  pray- 
ers, and  benedictions.  All  this  is  performed  in  the 
porch.  Then  the  priest  gives  the  godfather  hold  of  the 
bottom  of  his  surplice,  and  turning  about  introduces 
him  in  that  manner  into  the  church,  saying  as  he  walks, 
Enter  into  the  church  of  God,  that  you  may  partake  of 
eternal  life  with  Christ.  At  the  font,  the  godfather  re- 
nounces Satan,  professes  his  belief  of  the  articles  of  the 
creed  ;  and  on  being  asked  whether  he  desires  to  be  bap- 
tized, ansuers  he  does  desire  it.  Then  the  priest  takes 
the  child  if  he  dips  him,  and  immerses  him  once  in  the  font 
pronouncing  the  baptismal  words.  If  he  pours  water  on 
his  head,  the  godfather  holds  the  babe  bare-headed  over  the 
font,  and  the  priest  pours  on  the  water.  Rituals  differ:  but 
an  old  ritual  of  Venice  seems  to  speak  the  general  sense, 
when  it  says,  "Let  the  priest  baptize  him  in  the  name 
of  the  holy  trinity  by  trine  immersion  ;  or,  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  country  or  place,  let  him  pour  water  on 
the  head."  Then  the  priest  anoints  him  with  chrism, 
and  in  some  places  puts  on  him  a  white  garnient,  and 
gives  a  lighted  wax  taper  into  the  hand  of  the  godfather, 
who  all  along  is  considered  as  the  representative  of  the 

1.2)  Ibid.  Vigilie  mortuorunu  (3)  Ordo  Romanus. 


GREEK   AND   ROMAN   CHURCHES.  473 

ehild.  This  with  a  few  varieties  is  the  general  manner 
of  Catholick  baptism. 

Here  are  two  articles  in  this  kind  of  baptism,  which 
deserve  attention,  salt  and  spittle  ;  both  were  taken  frona 
the  Greeks,  but  miserably  adulterated. 

First  in  regard  to  salt.  It  is  allowed,  that  commenta- 
tors and  ritualists  say  a  great  many  fi  .e  things  about  it, 
as  that  Moses  salted  sacritices,  that  salt  was  an  enibleni 
both  of  friendship  and  auger,  that  it  was  sown  on  ruins 
to  express  barrenness,  that  Jesus  likened  his  disciples  to 
salt,  that  unsavoury  Christians  were  good  for  nothing, 
that  Paul  said,  have  salt  in  yourselves,  that  the  prophet 
cleansed  filthy  water  with  salt,  and  so  on  ;  but  ail  these 
imply  what  is  not  true,  that  is,  that  salt  was  first  intro- 
duced in  baptism  for  some  of  these  reasons.  There  are 
allusions  to  salt  in  the  discourses  of  the  fathers,  and 
salt  in  baptism  is  allegorized  :  but  such  allusions  imply 
the  being  of  the  custom,  and  were  only  intended  to  im- 
prove it  and  give  it  a  moral  turn.  The  fathers  dis- 
coursed of  a  custom  in  being  ;  their  discourses  did  not 
institute  it.  Adult  baptism  by  dipping  great  multitudes 
in  a  baptistery  at  Easter  unravels  this  mystery  ;  and  thus 
applied,  the  priest  may  be  allowed  to  continue  the  old 
form  of  words  made  use  of  at  the  application  of  it, 
Recthe  the  salt  of  wisdom  ('})  :  for  prudence  suggested 
the  use  of  it  to  some  peopie  in  some  cases. 

It  hath  been  said  before,  bathing  was  a  science  in 
Italy.  Physicians  regulated  the  whole,  and  as  they 
thought  the  bath  in  some  seasons  dangerous  to  some 
constitutions,  and  especially  to  people  who  bathed  imme- 
diately after  e^ijoying  the  luxuries  of  the  table,  they 
prescribed  mineral  salts  for  evacuations  and  other  rea- 
sons of  health.  The  most  abstemious  made  use  of  such 
preparations  before  they  went  into  the  pubiick  baths  ; 
and  certainly  to  some  constitutions,  in  some  habirs  of 
body,  at  some  seasons  of  the  year,  and  before  pubiick 
bathing  too,  nothing  could  be  moie  pioper.  Moreover, 
it  is  certain,  salt  was  provided  b^  the  church,  and 
delivered  to  Cytechumens  some  days  before  baptism 
(4).     Indeed  it  was  coi  secrated,  that  is,  blessed  :   but  a 

(3)  S.  Grcg'orius  de  ord.  baptis.  Accipe  sal  sapientix  in  vitam  sett-mam 
— — 0)do  Rom    Accipe  salem  sapientis  propitiatus  in  vitam  seternam. 

(4)  Concil.  Carthag.  iii.  An.  397.  Cap.  v. 

60 


474  ADMINISTRATION   Oi'   BAPTISM  IN   THE 

primitive  benediction  was  nothing  but  saying  grace,^ 
The  Emperor  Charlemagne  was  very  fond  of  cheese. 
He  called  one  day  to  see  a  bishop  unawares,  and  as  it 
was  a  fast  day,  the  bishop  had  nothing  for  him  but  bread 
and  cheese  :  but  to  make  his  majesty  amends,  he  taught 
him  what  he  did  not  know  before,  the  deliciousness  of 
mouldy  cheese.  The  prelate  said  grace.  The  Emper- 
or was  delighted  with  his  treat,  and  ordered  several 
hampers  of  mouldy  cheese  to  be  sent  him  annually,  for 
which  he  paid  like  a  prince.  Soon  after  a  benediction 
of  cheese  appeared  among  the  blessings  of  the  pious 
clergy  (5).  When  princes  and  their  households  first 
embraced  Christianity  by  being  dipped  thrice  in  a  river, 
or  a  publick  baptistery,  would  it  have  been  very  won- 
derful if  the  physician  had  rendered  himself  necessary  by 
his  prescriptions  ?  Is  there  any  thing  very  incredible  in 
supposing  that  the  better  sort  of  people  imitated  their 
betters,  and  the  poor  them  ?  And  is  it  very  unlikely 
that,  v/hen  infant  baptism  came  in,  a  spiritual  sense 
should  be  given  to  the  use  of  salt,  and  so  mineral  be  ex- 
changed for  common  salt  ?  There  are  passages  in  some 
writers,  which  seem  to  express  a  real  literal  cleansing  of 
the  body  by  medicine  preparatory  to  baptism  :  but  bold 
allegory  was  so  much  the  fashion  of  the  times,  that  it  is 
hard  to  determine  the  precise  meaning  of  such  writers. 

Spittle  in  baptism  is  easily  traced  to  its  origin. 
Every  body  knows  spitting  on  any  person  hath  always 
been  accounted  a  mark  of  contempt.  When  Catechu- 
mens were  examined  before  baptism,  whether  they  re- 
nounced all  the  Pagan  demons,  they  answered  with  vi- 
vacity by  lifting  up  the  hand,  declaring  aloud  their  ab- 
horrence of  Paganism  ;  and  by  spitting,  expressed  their 
detestation  of  Jupiter  and  Mars,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
rabble  (6).  The  modern  Greek  rituals  require  all  adult 
Catechumens,  when  they  renounce  Satan,  to  spit  on 
him  :  and  it  is  credible  it  was  so  in  the  beginning  (7). 
Tertullian  refers  to  this  custom  (8).       In  time,  when 

(10  Sani^allensis  De  Gest  Carol'i  M.  Lib.  i.  xvii. 

(6)  Euchologion  uhi  sup 

(7)  liia.  orat.  ad  facienduni  catechumenum.    p.  338.     Sacerdos ait 

Abreniincias  Satana;  ?  Respondet  Abrenuncio.  Sacerdos.  Abrennnciasti  I 
Eesp.  \brenunciavi.  Sacerd.  Abrenunciasti  ?  Resp.  Abrenunciavi.  Sacerd. 
Insnffla  jp:itur,  et  expue  in  ilium,  &c. 

(8)  Tertulliani  ad  uxor     Lib.  ii    Cap.  v.     Cum  aliquid  immundum  flatu 
expuis— fld  Scapul,  demones  non  modo  respuimus,  sed  etiam  revinciimis. 


GREEK  AND  ROMAN  CHURCHES.  475 

parents  brought  children   who  could   indeed   say  the 
Lord's  prayer  and  the  creed,  but  who  could  not  well 
utter  the  renunciation,  (for  Catechumens  used  to  draw 
in  a  good  deal  of  breath,  and  utter  it  so  as  to  speak  and 
spit  with  vehemence)  the  parents  performed  this  part  for 
the  children,  and  since  infants  were  received  to  baptism, 
the  priest  performs  this  by  touching  the  child's  nostrils 
and  ears  :    an  obliquity  that  was  occasioned  by  the  ap- 
plication of  texts,  concerning  the  spittle,   which  Jesus 
applied  to  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  and  which  made  this 
simple  custom  a  mystery  by  way  of  accounting  for  it(9). 
To  conclude.      Immersion  in  the  church  of  Rome 
stood  by  law  established  till  the  latter  end  of  the  eighth 
century.        Then   pouring   was   tolerated   in    cases   of 
necessity  :    but  many  laws  were  made  in  future  ages 
against  pouring,  except  in  such  cases  ;   and  the  custom 
of  dipping,  having  been  so  long  established  by  law,  had 
become  so  inveterate,  that  the  practice  did  not  fall  whol- 
ly into  disuse  till  the  sixteenth  century  at  least.     Immer- 
sion hath  never  been  abrogated  by  law  in  the  Roman 
church,  or  ever  deemed  invalid  ;    and  all  that  the  law 
hath  done  amounts  to  no  more  than  without  repealing 
one,  allowing  the  validity  of  both.     The  express  law,  as 
it  now  stands  in  modern  practice,  and  by  which  rituals 
are  examined,  allowed,  and  published,  is  in  these  words  : 
"Although   baptism   may  be   administered,   either  by 
dipping,  pouring,  or  sprinkling  :    yet  pouring  is  to  be 
observed  as  the  custom  of  the  cJhurch  of  Rome,  and  it  is 
done  by  pouring  three  times.     It  is  not  lawful  to  depart 
from  this  custom,  except  in  cases  of  necessity."      In 
foreign  rituals  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  priest  is  di- 
rected to  take  the  child  into  his  own  hands,  and,  when 
he  shall  have  baptized  him,  and  raised  him  out  of  the 
font,  to  deliver  him  to  the  sponsors  (I).     In  later  rituals 
the  sponsors  are  directed  in  the  rubricks  to  hold  the 
child,   and  pictured  as  standing  backward   with  their 
feet,  leaning  the  upper  part  of  their  bodies  forward,  and 
holding  a  naked  child  over  the  font,  while  the  priest  is 

(9)  Joannis  Botsacci  Moral.  Gedanens.  Bapdsnins.  Abrenunciatio  olim 
fiebat  in  baptismo  :  ut  eum  flatu  expuerenl  baptizancU  adulti.  Pro  infan- 
tibus  mlnistri  ecclesise  et  susceptores  hoc  faciebant. 

(1)  Ordo  Neapol.  Sacerdos  accipiat  puerum  diligenter,  et  baptizet  ;  et 
cum  resurrexerit  de  fonte  compatres  et  commatres  tangant  puerum,  Scq 


476  ADMINISTRATION   OF   BAPTISM,  hc. 

pouring  water  over  him  (2).  In  rituals  of  the  last 
century,  the  children  are  represented  clothed  except 
the  head,  and  the  sponsor  holding  only  that  over  the 
font.  In  that,  which  was  printed  for  the  use  of  the 
English  seminary  at  Douay  in  Flanders,  in  the  year 
sixteen  hundred  and  four,  the  priest  is  directed  to  take 
the  infant  into  his  hands,  and  baptize  him  by  trine  im- 
mersion, invoking  the  holy  Trinity,  in  the  follow  ing  man- 
ner :  *'  He  shall  dip  him  once  with  his  face  toward 
the  West,  and  say,  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Father  ;  then  he  shall  dip  him  again  with  his  face  to- 
ward the  South,  and  shall  say,  and  of  the  Son  ;  and  then 
he  shall  dip  him  a  third  time  with  his  face  toward  the 
water,  and  shall  say,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen." 

In  this  country  and  in  Ireland  the  practice  of  dipping 
hath  always  stood,  and  yet  stands  established  by  law. 
In  the  twelfth  cen'^ury  a  council  in  Ireland  ordained  that 
children  should  be  baptized  in  pure  water  by  trine 
imniersion.  But,  as  a  proof  that  a  history  of  f.icts  can- 
not be  collected  from  mere  laws,  it  may  be  observed 
that  the  Irish  baptized  by  plunging  their  children  in 
milk,  and  were  superstitious  enough  to  imagine  that 
every  part  so  plunged  became  invulnerable  (  )).  In  the 
same  century  a  council  at  York  ordered  that  baptism 
should  always  be  performed  by  trine  immersion,  and 
pouring  was  allowed  only  in  case  of  necessity  as  at 
Rome.  In  succeeding  centuries  the  same  order  was 
frequently  repeated  in  different  synods  (4).  In  times 
nearer  the  Reformation,  as  the  inferior  clergy  were  ex- 
tremely ignorant,  and  the  people  if  possitDle  more  so 
than  they,  and  all  of  them  utterly  incapable  to  determine 
what  was  law,  learned  canonists  drew  up  small  manuals, 
which  contained  extracts  from  the  provincial  constitu- 
tions of  Archbishop  Peckham,  and  others,  and  put  them 
into  the  hands  of  both  priests  and  people  for  a  sort  of 

(2)  OrdoVenet.  1612.  nunc  ad  meliorem  formam  redaetus.  Tunc  patri- 
nus,  she  matrina  admoveat  manus  baptizando,  et  sacerdos  baptizans 
seinel  dlcat  Ego  te  baptizo  in  nomihe  Patris  X  et  Filii  X  *^t  Spiritus 
Sancti  X  Amen.  Ad  singulas  cruces  fundens  aquam  baptismi  super 
caput  baptizandi— Joan.  Steph.  Duranti.  De  r'nibus  ecc/et.  Cathol, 
Parisiis.  1631.  Lib.  i.  Cap.  xix.  Ritum  Baptizandi  sub  tnna  immer- 
sione  vel  aspersione  hactenus  Romana  servavit  Ecclesia. 

(3)  Godolphin's   Repertorium. 

(4)  Speiman.  Concilia Cassil.  1172. Ebor.  1195. Londin.  1200 

Salisbur.    1217. Dunelm.    1220 Exon.  1287. Winton.  1306. 

— — Wigorn.  1240'    Trina  semper  fiat  immersio  baptizandi. 


REFORMED    BAPTISM.  477 

pocket  companions  to  direct  them  in  all  emergencies 
how  to  discharge  their  offices  with  safety. 

At  the  Reformation  in  some  of  the  first  rituals  pub- 
lished by  authority,  there  is  a  short  preface,  which 
says,  "Baptisme  in  the  old  time  was  not  commonly 
ministred  but  at  two  tymes  in  the  yeare,  at  Easter  and 
at  Whitsuntyde,  at  which  times  it  was  openly  min- 
istred in  y^  presence  of  all  the  congregation  (5), 
Which  custome  (now  being  growne  out  of  use)  although 
it  cannot  for  many  considerations  be  wel  restored  again, 
yet  it  is  thought  good  to  folow  y^  same  as  nere  as  con- 
veniently may  be."  Then  it  proceeds  to  direct  that 
baptism  be  administered  on  a  Sunday  in  a  church, 
*' when  the  most  nombre  of  people  may  come  together." 
*'  Then,  says  the  rubrick,  the  prieste  shall  take  the  chylde 
in  his  handes  and  aske  the  name  :  and  namyng  the 
chyld,  shall  dyppe  it  in  y*  water  thryse.  Fyrst  dyppyng 
the  ryght  syde :  seconde  the  lefte  syde :  the  thyrde  tyme 

dippy ng  the  face  toward  the  fonte And  if  the  chyld 

be  weake  it  shall  sufFyce  to  pour  water  upon  it."  In 
later  rituals  the  rubrick  says,  the  priest  shall  take  the 

child  in  his  hands and  shall  dip  it  in  the  water ^and 

if  the  child  be  weak,  it  shall  suffice  to  pour  water  (6). 
The  modern  rituals  say  the  same,  and  require  the  tout 
to  be  "  filled  with  pure  water."  On  the  whole,  law  and 
practice  were  both  alike  for  ages  :  but  when  practition- 
ers found  law  inconvenient  and  troublesome  in  practice, 
experiment  got  the  better  of  authority,  and  in  time  le- 
gislature thought  it  the  wisest  way  to  let  both  alone,  as 
many  evils  would  have  attended  an  alteration  of  law, 
and  many  more,  a  direct  prohibition  of  a  xerf  conveni- 
ent custom. 


CHAP.   XXXVII. 

REFORMED    BAPTISM, 

IN  the  deplorable  state  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  the  reformers  found  baptism  in  the  Catholick 
church,  when  in  that  church  they  awoke  to  inquiry.     In 

(5)  The  boke  of  the  common  prater,  i^fc.  Wigorn'tx  in  o^c/;ja  Joannis  Os- 
«v?eni  cum  prv.  Mai.  1549. 

(6)  The  bote  of  cotnmon  prayer,  ijc,  Londini.  inofficina  Edovardi  Whyt- 
cburche.  turn  priv.  ad  imprimendum  solum.  1552. 


478  EEFORMED    BAPTISM. 

the  first  instance  they  determined  their  own  right  to 
inquire  ;  in  the  next,  they  adjusted  their  creed  ;  and  in 
the  last  phice,  they  regulated  their  polity  ;  but  in  all  they 
retained  the  original  error.  Inquiry  is  the  right  of  man, 
and  to  reason  is  to  inquire :  but  Jhtth,  not  reason,  was 
made  the  ground- v^ork  of  the  Reformation  ;  and  in  the 
new  church,  as  in  the  old,  inquiry  was  monopolized  by  a 
sacred  few ;  and  the  rest,  as  incompetent  to  an  exercise 
so  sublime,  were  ordered  to  obey. 

In  regard  to  baptism,  the  founders  of  established  re- 
formed churches  retained  five  principal  articles.  First, 
they  imagined  a  fictitious  being,  which  they  called  the 
churchy  that  was  themselves,  not  the  people,  but  their 
kings,  the  clergy  in  synod,  and  as  many  fathers  as  they 
supposed  had  been  of  their  sentiments,  of  whom  Saint 
Augustine  was  always  one.  Secondly,  they  retained 
the  chief  or  rather  the  only  reason  for  infant  baptism, 
original  sin :  some  with  all  its  frightful  consequences; 
and  others  with  the  same  consequences  qualified  after  a 
certain  manner.  Thirdly,  they  united  certain  iimsible 
benefits  with  baptism :  some  supposed  it  a  physical 
cleansing  from  sin  ;  others,  a  conveyance  of  moral 
qualities  ;  and  others,  a  seal  or  sign  of  a  contract 
between  Almighty  God  and  the  faithful,  and  the 
children  of  the  faithful  ;  or,  as  they  by  a  Jewish  fig- 
ure expressed  it,  the  seed  of  the  godly,  implying  that 
godliness,  and  expressly  declaring  that  sin,  were  both 
propagated  by  natural  generation.  Fourthly,  they  con- 
fined the  administration  of  it  to  a  clergy.  Lastly,  they 
gave  the  people  no  liberty  of  refusal:  the  alternatix'e  was 
submission  or  persecution.  The  whole  reformation  of 
baptism,  then,  lay  in  discarding  a  few  of  the  least  pop- 
ular of  the  two  and  twenty  exterior  ceremonies.  How 
much  such  a  reformation  contributed  to  the  real  im- 
provement of  society,  or  the  advancement  of  virtue,  is 
not  a  question  of  this  place. 

However  various  the  objections  of  different  reformers 
against  the  several  parts  of  papal  baptism  were,  none, 
except  the  Socinian  and  other  Baptists,  touched  either 
the  theological  bottom  of  original  sin,  or  the  civil 
ground,  absolute  power  of  imposing  religion  on  babes, 
which  are  the  true  and  real  bases  of  infant  baptism. 

Some  English  reformers  objected  against  the  cere- 
monies.    Thus  in  a  book  printed  abroad  in  the  reign 


REFORMED     BAPTISM.  419 

of  Mary  :  **  For  besydes  that  they  [the  sacraments]  are 
ministrcd  in  an  unknown  tunge,  hovve  be  they  defylcd 
with  mens  tradicions,  and  beggarly  ceremonies  ?  unto 
the  sacrament  of  baptisme,  they  putte  Heathenish  rites 
and  wicked  coniuracions.  For  Baals  priesie,  before  the 
childe  can  be  baptized,  bewytcheth  the  water,  shutteth  the 
church  doore,  coniureth  the  deuel  out  of  the  poore  youge 
influinte,  bespueth  the  chylde  with  his  vile  spide  and 
stincking  slaueringe,  putteth  sake  in  the  chyldes  mouth, 
smereth  it  with  greasye  and  unsauer  oyle,  &.c.  And 
withoute  these  apysh  toyes,  they  make  the  people  beleue, 
that  tlie  baptisme  is  nothig  worth.  Ah  good  Lord,  is 
this  any  other  thing  than  a  playne  laughing  to  scorne  of 
thy  dere  soiies  instituceo?  Do  these  Papistes,  by  adding 
beggarly  ceremonies,  anye  other  thinge  than  set  thy 
Sonne  Christe  to  schole,  and  auance  theyr  owae  fleshly 
imaginacio   aboue  the  wysedome  of  the  Lorde  Christe 

The  Reformers  objected,  also,  against  the  adminis- 
tration of  baptism  in  Latin,  an  unknown  tongue.  Thus 
Tyndale  :  "Baptym  hathe  also  his  worde  and  promyse 
whyche  the  preest  ought  to  teache  the  people  and  chrys- 
tenthe  in  the  Englyshe  tonge,  and  not  to  play  the  popyn- 
gaye  with  Credo  sayeye,  Folo  saye  ye,  and  baptismum 
saye  ye,  for  there  ought  to  be  no  mummynge  in  such  a 
mater  (2). 

Bishop  Ridley  did  not  think  it  much  signified  :  "  Al- 
thoughe  I  wolde  wisshe  baptisme  to  be  geve  in  the  vul- 
gar toung  for  the  peoples  sake  which  are  presente,  that 
they  may  the  better  understande  their  owne  profession, 
and  also  be  more  hable  to  teache  their  cbildre.the  same, 
yet  notwithstanding  ther  is  not  lyke  necessitee  of  the 
vulgare  tounge  in  baptisme,  and  in  the  Lorde's  supper. 
Baptisme  is  gevg  to  children,  who  by  reason  of  their 
aege  are  not  able  to  understande  what  is  spoken  unto 
them  what  tounge  soever  it  be  (3)." 

(1)  An  humble  supplication  unto  God,  for  the  rcstoringe  of  hys  holyo 
woorde,  unto  the  churche  of  H^ng'landc  mooste  mete  to  be  sayde  in  tiiese 
•ur  daves,  euen  witli  tears  of  eueVy  true  and  faythful  English  harte.  Im- 
prynted  at  Strasburgh.  1554. 

(2)  The  Obedyence  of  a  Chrysten  Man,  &c.  By  William  Tyndale,  oth- 
erwyse  called  Hychins,  Prynted  at  Malborowe,  in  the  lande  of  Hesse,  by 
Hans  Luft  The  viii.  day  of  Maye.    Anno  m    d.  xxviii    Fo.  Isxr.  Baptym. 

(3)  Certe  ffodly,  learned,  and  comfortable  conferences,  betweene  the 
two  Reiierende  fatliers  and  holye  mart^-rs  of  Christe,  D.  Nicolas  Ridley 
late  Bysshoppe  of  London,  and  M  Hughe  Latymer  sometyme  Bysshope 
of  Worcester,  during  the  tyme  of  theyr  emprysonmentes.  m.  ».  i-vi. 


480  REFORMED    BAPTISM. 

They  did  not  object  against  the  mode  in  use,  but 
explained  and  confirmed  it.  Thus  Tyndale :  ''The 
plun^ynge  into  the  water  signifieth  that  we  dye  and  are 
biiryed  with  Chryst  as  concernynge  the  old  lyfe  of  synne 
which  is  Adam.  And  thep«//yA!§-d'Oi//agayn  sygnvfycth 
that  we  ryse  agayne  with  Chryste  in  a  new  lyfe  (4.)." 

Thus  the  matter  is  described  in  King  Edward's  Cat- 
echism. "  Master.  Tell  me  (my  sonne)  how  these 
two  sacramentes  be  ministred :  baptisme  :  and  that 
which  Paul  calleth  the  supper  of  the  Lord  ?  Scholar, 
Hym  that  beleveth  in  Christ :  professeih  the  articles  of 
the  Christian  fayth :  and  myndeth  to  be  baptised  (I 
speake  nowe  of  the  that  be  growe  to  ripe  yeres  of  discre- 
tion :  sith  for  the  yog  babes,  theyr  parentes  or  the 
churches  professio  sufficeth)  the  minister  dyppeth  in,  or 
washeth  with  pure  and  cleane  water  onlye,  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Sonne,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost: 
and  the  commendeth  him  by  praier  to  God,  into  whose 
churche  he  is  now  openly  as  it  wear  enrowled,  that  it 
may  please  God  to  graunt  him  hys  grace,  whereby  he 
nmy  answer  in  belefe  and  life  agreablye  to  his  profes- 
sion (5)." 

The  Reformers  wished  for  a  further  Reformation. 
Thus  Dr.  Edwin  Sandys,  Archbishop  of  York,  in  his 
win.  "  Fourthly,  concerning  rites  and  ceremonies,  by 
political  constitutions  authorized  amongst  us,  as  I  am  and 
have  been  persuaded,  that  such  as  are  now  set  dov\  n  by 
publick  authority  in  that  churche  of  Englande,  are  no 
way  either  ungodly  or  unlawfull,  but  may  with  good 
conscience,  for  order  and  obedience  sake,  be  used  of  a 
good  Christian  ;  for  the  private  baptism  to  be  ministred 
by  women,  I  take  neither  to  be  prescribed  nor  permitted,  so 
have  T  ever  been,  and  presently  am  persuaded,  that  some 
of  them  be  not  so  expedient  for  this  church  now,  but 
that  in  the  church  reformed,  and  in  all  this  time  of  the 
gospell,  wherein  the  seed  of  the  scripture  hath  so  long 
been  sown,  they  may  better  be  disused  by  little  and  little y 
then  more  and  more  ureed  (6)." 

(4)  Obedyence  of  a  Chrysten  Man,  &c. 

(5)  The  Catechisme.  Imprynted  at  London  by  Jhon  Day and  are  t» 

be  solde  at  hys  shop  by  the  litle  conduit  in  Chepesyde  at  the  sygne  of  th6 
Resurreccion   [printed  in  1 553  ] 

(f>)  Rastall's  History  of  the  Antiquities  of  the  Town'and  Church  of  South- 
well.  London.  1787.  p.  302.  The  preamble  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of 
Edwiii  Sandys,  late  Archbishop  of  York,  who  died  »t  Southwell  10  July, 
1588. 


REPORMED    BAPTISM.  481 

The  printed  creeds,  canons,  and  rituals  of  churches, 
resenil>le  the  statute  laws  of  a  kingdom  :  but  real  piac- 
tice  often  clitiers  very  widely  from  declared  rules  both  in 
charch  and  state.  This  is  remarkably  true  in  three 
great  communities  of  Christians  in  regard  to  both  the 
mode  of  baptizing,  and  the  reason  of  the  practice  of  in- 
fant baptism.  If  by  sprinkling  be  understood  scatter- 
ing in  small  drops,  it  must  be  granted  it  is  contrary  to 
law  in  the  church  of  Rome,  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  in  the  episcopal  church  of  England  (7).  In  the 
standards  of  these  churches  baptism  is  defined  dipping, 
pouring  is  tolerated  in  case  of  weakness  :  but  sprinkling 
is  not  mentioned.  The  most  accurate  writers  in  the 
Catholick  church,  when  they  speak  of  sprmkling  al- 
ways mean  a  scattering  of  holy  water,  and  never  think 
of  an  administration  of  baptism.  They  say,  very  truly, 
baptism  never  was  administered  by  aspersion  in  the 
primitive  church,  yet  probably  practice  may  differ  from 
these  definitions  and  canons  in  all  these  chinches.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  some  clergymen  of  the  established  church  of 
England  have  conscientiously  interpreted  the  law  accord- 
ing to  its  apparent  true  intent  and  meaning,  of  which 
two  examples  shall  suffice.  Both  are  taken  from  the 
journal  of  a  zealous  minister  of  that  church,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  John  Wesley.  ''  Savannah,  1736,  Feb.  21st, 
Mary  Welch,  aged  eleven  days,  was  baptized  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  first  church,  and  the  rule  of  the 
church  of  England,  by  immersion.  May  5th,  1  was 
asked  to  baptize  a  child  of  Mr.  Parker's,  second  bailiff 
of  Savannah.  But  Mrs.  Parker  told  me,  Neither  Mr. 
P.  nor  I  will  consent  to  its  being  dipped.  I  answered, 
If  you  certify  that  your  child  is  weak,  it  will  suffice  (the 
rubrick  says)  to  pour  water  upon  it.  She  repl)  'd,  Nay, 
the  child  is  not  weak  ;  but  1  am  res-ilved  it  sh  al 
not  be  dipped.     This  argument  I  could  not  conhiie. 

(7)  Mallet  Encycloped.  Aspersion. 

Confessio  Doctrinse  Saxonicarum  Ecclesiarum  S3'nodo  Trulentinse  nblata. 
Anno  Domini  M.  D.  LI.  Francoforti  1553  De  Bapti-mo.  Baplisnuis  est 
Integra  actio,  videlicit  mersio,  &,  verborum  pronunciatio  :  E^^o  ba])tiz()  te 
in  nomine  Patris,  &  Filii,  &  Spiritus  Sancti.  In  his  verbis  summam 
doctrinae  Evangelii  compreliensam,  saepe  enarramus.  Ego  baplizo  te,  id 
est,  ego  testificor  hac  mcrsione  te  ablui  a  p, ccaiis,  &  lec'pi  jam  a  vero 
Deo,  qui  est  Pater  Domini  nostri  Jesu  Cliristi,  qui  te  per  P'liium  Jesura 
Christum  Iledemit,  &  sanctificat  te  Spiritu  Sancto. 

61 


So  I  went  home ;  and  the  child  was  baptized  by  another 
person  (^)." 

From  ihe  days  of  Angustine  to  the  Reformation, 
those  who  in  the  Catholick  church  practised  infant 
baptism  never  imagined  Christianity  hereditary  :  but 
supposed  the  moment  an  infant  was  separated  from  its 
mother,  it  was  out  of  the  pale  of  the  church,  accountable 
for  the  crimes  of  both  Adam  and  Eve,  defiled  with  sin 
itself,  inhabited  by  Satan,  under  the  wrath  of  God, 
without  Christianity,  without  hope  in  either  world,  and 
doomed,  dying  as  it  was,  to  everlasting  misery.  Con- 
ceiving that  regeneration  was  a  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  that  this  work  was  done  in  baptism,  they  baptized 
children,  and  on  these  principles  they  baptize  infants  to 
this  day  (9).  This  doctrine  is  so  interwoven  into  the 
creeds,  canons,  and  rituals  of  the  church,  that  it  never 
can  be  separated  till  the  whole  economy  is  dissolved. 
The  Lutheran  church,  and  the  Episcopal  church  of 
England  at  the  Reformation,  laid  aside  some  ceremo- 
nies, but  continued  infant  baptism  avowedly  on  these 
principles  (l).  The  opinions  of  divines  in  both  these 
churches  have  varied  very  much  ;  but  the  old  standards 
and  forms  remain,  and  while  they  do,  the  doctrine  held 
forth  in  them  must  be  the  reputed  doctrine  of  the  church- 
es. On  these  principles  the  rituals  are  composed  ;  and 
whatever  may  be  believed,  this  is  the  doctrine  expressed. 

Lutheran  Baptism,  as  it  is  practised  by  es- 
tablished Rituals  in  Saxony,  Denmark 
AND  Norway. 

The  Lutheran  offices  of  baptism  are  four  (2)  : 
i.  The  puhUck  baptism  of  inftmts.     This  is  administer- 
ed in  the  church  by  some  person  in  orders  as  soon  after 
the  birth  of  the  child  as  it  may  be  convenient.     The 

(8)  Extract  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Wesley's  Journal  fronn  his  embark, 
ing  for  Georgia,  to  his  return  to  London.    Second  Edition.    Bristol.   1743. 

(9)  Coricil.  Trident.     Sessio.  v.     De  peccato  original!.. 

(1)  Articles  agreed  upon  by  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  both  prov- 
inces, and  the  whole  Clerg'y  in  the  convocation  holden  at  London  in  the  year 
1562  ;  for  avoiding-  diversities  of  opinions  and  for  the  establisiiing  of  con- 
sent touching  true   religion.     Reprinted   by  his  Majesty's  commandment 

with  his  royal  declaration  prefi.xed  thereanto Art.  ix.  Of  Original  or 

Birth  Sin. 

(2)  Petri  Terpag^er.  Ritual.  Eccles.  Danix  et  Norvegia.  Havnia.  1706. 
pag.  29.  De  Bapt, 


REFORMED    BAPTISM.  483 

priest  begins  with  exorcism  (3).  Next  he  makes  the 
sign  of  the  cross  on  the  face  and  the  breast  of  the  infant 
(4).  Then  he  repeats  some  prayers,  and  reads  that 
part  of  tlie  tenth  of  Mark,  which  speaks  of  bringing 
children  to  Jesus.  Next  he  lays  his  hand  on  the  head 
of  the  child  and  says  the  Lord's  prayer  ;  after  which  he 
inquires  the  name  of  the  infant,  and  then  asks  him  three 
times  whether  he  renounces  the  devil  and  his  works, 
and  three  times  whether  he  believes  in  God  the  Father, 
and  so  on,  to  all  which  for  the  infant  the  godfather  an- 
swers in  the  affirmative  (5).  Then  the  naked  head  of 
the  child  is  held  over  the  font,  and  the  priest  pours  water 
three  times  over  it,  while  he  is  pronouncing  the  usual 
baptismal  words,  pouring  once  in  the  name  of  the  Fath- 
er, a  second  time  in  the  name  of  the  Son,  and  a  third 
time  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Then  he  coxers 
the  head  of  the  child,  and  before  he  returns  it  to  the 
godfather,  he  pronounces  with  his  hand  upon  the  head  a 
short  benedictory  prayer. 

ii.  The  prhate  baptism  of  infants.  This  is  allowed 
only  in  cases  of  necessity.  In  such  cases  baptism  is  ad- 
min istered  by  a  priest,  or  a  layman,  or  a  sworn  midwife, 
or  the  mother  of  the  babe.  This  being  an  hasty  per- 
formance of  baptism,  the  far  greater  part  of  the  service 
is  omitted,  as  the  renunciation  of  Satan,  and  the  profes- 
sion of  faith ;  but  if  the  child  lives,  he  is  afterward  carri- 
ed to  church,  and  the  priest  adds  the  parts  which  had 
been  omitted. 

iii.  The  baptism  of  exposed  infants.  This  is  perform- 
ed as  the  publick  baptism  of  infants  is. 

iv.  The  baptism  oj  adults.  These  are  instructed  some 
time  before  baptism  :  at  the  administration  exorcism  is 
omitted  :  godfathers  are  not  allowed  to  answer,  but  the 
person  to  be  baptized  is  himself  publickly  catechized  :  he 
renounces  Satan  :  professes  his  belief  of  the  creed :  and 
kneeling  on  a  little  bench,  and  leaning  his  head  over  the 
font,  the  priest  pours  water  on  it  while  he  utterg  the  bap- 
tismal words. 

(3)  Exi  immunde  Spirltiis,  et  da  locum  Spirltui  Sancto -- Adjuro  te  im- 
munde  Spiritus  in  nomiue  Patris,  &c. 

(4)  Accipe  signum  sancto  crucis  tarn  in  facie  tua  x  q«ara  in  pectore  x. 

(5)  Ad  quas  qusestiones  infantem  tenens  [susceptor]  clara  voce /)ro /?!• 
fante  respondet .  •  ubrenuncio  -  -  volo  -  -  credo,  &.c. 


404  reformed   baptism. 

English,  Welsh,  and   Irish   established  Bap- 
tism. 

The  modern  baptismal  offices  of  the  episcopal  church 
in  England  are  evidently  copied  from  those  of  the  Lu- 
theran church.  The  lesson,  the  prayers,  the  renuncia- 
tion, and  the  creed,  are  the  same.  But  in  two  articles 
the  English  differs  from  other  Lutheran  liturgies.  The 
English  omit  exorcism  :  and  it  enjoins  dipping,  and 
allows  of  pouring  in  infant  baptism  only  in  case  of  weak- 
ness (6),  In  adult  baptism  it  requires  dipping  or  pour- 
ing, and  a  certificate  of  weakness  is  not  necessary  to  the 
latter  (7). 

Calvinist  Ba-ptism,  as  the  Rituals  of  the 
Scotch,  French  Protestants,  Swiss,  and 
Dutch,  require   it  to  be  performed. 

The  liturgy  of  Zurich  is  a  little  more  reformed,  and  a 
little  more  corrupted  :  more  corrupted,  because  it  for- 
bids dipping,  and  enjoins,  what  it  very  improperly  calls 
sprinkli'ig,  three  handfuls  of  water  to  be  put  on  the 
head  of  the  infant  (8) :  and  more  reformed,  because  it 
omits  the  oil,  salt,  and  spittle  of  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans, the  exorcism  of  the  Lutherans,  and  disallow^s 
the  private  baptism  of  the  English  church,  and  the  in- 
terrogation of  infants,  although  it  requires  sponsors  to 
engage  to  educate  them  in  the  faith  of  the  church.  At 
the  Reformation  such  as  offered  children  to  be  bap- 
tized were  repeatedly  required  to  answer  whether  they  de- 
sired to  have  it  so,  to  which  they  as  often  answered  yes ; 
and  for  a  very  good  reason,  for  refusal  was  imprisonment 
or  banishment,  and  adult  baptism  was  death  (9).  But 
time  hath  taught  the  Swiss  the  impolicy  of  persecution. 

(6)  Publkk  baptism  of  infants.  The  font  is  then  to  he.  filed  with  pure 
water 

If  they    [the   g-odfathers]    shall   certify  him    [the  priest]  that  the  child 

may  well  endure   it,  he  shall  dip  it  in  the  water but  if  they  certify  that 

the  child  is  weak,  it  shall  suffice  to  pour  water  upon  it. 

(7)  Baptism  rf  such  as  are  f>f  riper  years.  The  priest  shall  dip  him  in 
the  water,  or  shall  pour  water  upon  him. 

(8)  Ludov.  Lavalheri  De  ritib  et  institut.  eccles.  Tigurin.  opusc.  Tiguri^ 
1559.  xii.  De  haptismo.  Mox  minister  puerum  ter  aqua  aspergit  (non 
immergit),  dicens,  &c. 

John  Conrad  Werndly.  Liturg.  Tigurin.  London,  1693.  xv.  of  Baptism. 
The  godmother  goeth  near  the  minister,  and  holdetTi  the  child  over  the 
font,  and  the  minister  poureth  three  handfuls  of  water  upon  the  child's 
forehead,  saying-  N.  H.  I  baptize  thee,  &c. 

(9)  Lavather.  ut  sup,  xxv.  Fanx  quibus  sectarii  afficiuntur. 


REFORMED    BAPTISM.  485 

The  Genevan  liturgy,  and  the  Scotch  and  French 
which  are  copies  of  it,  disuse  salt,  oil,  spittle,  exorcism, 
private  baptism,  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  sponsion : 
but  they  retain  the  baptism  of  infants,  and  direct  the 
clergy  to  administer  it,  by  pouring  water  upon  the 
child  (1). 

At  the  Reformation,  such  Baptists  as  did  not  believe 
origifial  sin  (and  they  were  by  far  the  greater  part)  both 
in  England  and  on  the  continent,  reasoned  vehemently 
as:ainst  this  doctrine :  and  all  of  them  denied  the  prac- 
tice of  baptizing  infants,  which  was  built  on  it.  They 
held  many  disputes  with  the  other  reformers,  and  a  learn- 
ed Jesuit  affirms,  it  was  Zuinglius,  who  first  changed  the 
gcound,  and  argued  for  infant  baptism  from  a  certain 
covenant,  which  in  an  early  age  of  the  world,  the  Al- 
mighty had  made  with  Abraham,  the  Chaldean,  and  in 
which  he  thought  the  Swiss  Protestant  cantons,  the  Pro- 
testants of  Geneva,  and  all  others  of  the  elect,  who  be- 
lieved predestination,  with  their  children,  were  included. 
It  doth  not  seem  necessary  here  to  inquire  whether  the 
learned  father  is  right,  or  who  was  the  author  of  this 
doctrine :  let  it  suffice  to  observe,  that  on  this  ground 
Calvin  and  his  followers,  the  churches  of  Holland,  Scot- 
land, Geneva,  and  the  Protestant  Swiss  cantons,  placed 
infant  baptism,  supporting  it  however  with  detached 
sentences  of  scripture,  and  penal  statutes  enforced  by 
the  civil  power.  A  fierce  controversy  was  stirred  up  by 
it.  Father  Tanner  for  die  Catholicks,  Professor  Hun- 
nius  for  the  Lutherans,  Hubmeier  for  the  Baptists,  each 
with  squadrons  attending  him,  attacked  this  doctrine  : 
some  firmly  as  a  novelty,  others  furiously  as  'An  heresy, 
while  others  laughed  at  it  as  a  piece  of  chicanery. 

The  Administration  of  Baptism  by  Calvin- 
isT  Congregational  Churches  not  estab- 
lished. 

Such  of  the  English  Noncomformists  as  hold  the 
system  of  Calvin,  practise  infant  baptism  on  a  ground 
very  different  from  that  of  all  these  churches.  They 
allow  of  no  human  authority  in  religion,  consequently 

(1)  Formula  sacramrn'or,  aclministrand.  in  itsutn  eccies.  Gerievensis  con- 
script.    Dudum  a  Joanne  Caldino  Gallice  Conscript.  Genevx.  1552. 


48b  REFORMED    BAPTISM. 

they  expect  no  aid  from  ecclesiastical  canons  or  civil  co- 
ercion. This  noble  remove  into  religious  liberty  places 
them  in  a  condition  extremely  different  from  that  of 
the  Greek,  the  Roman,  the  Lutheran,  and  the  Calvinist 
established  churches :  but  in  the  opinion  of  the  Baptists 
it  sets  them  at  the  same  time  in  a  very  awkward  state  in 
regard  to  inlant  baptism.  On  their  own  principles, 
scripture  alone,  interpreted  by  individuals,  and  support- 
ed by  argument,  is  the  only  ground  of  action.  This  is 
to  come  to  the  very  steps  of  the  baptistery  ;  however  it 
is  not  necessary  for  them  to  descend  into  it,  and  it  is 
but  fliir  to  hear  the  reasons  which  they  assign  for  stop- 
ping short.  They  baptize  infants  by  sprinkling  they 
say,  from  a  conviction  that  infant  sprinkhng  is  that  very 
original  baptism  which  Jesus  instituted,  and  they  pretend 
to  support  this  by  sciipture  and  reasoning.  How  con- 
clusively, to  their  honour  be  it  spoken,  they  leave  every 
man  in  a  state  of  perfect  liberty  to  judge. 

A  baptism  of  this  kind  was  administered  in  the  fol- 
lowing  manner.  A  large  congregation  was  assembled 
in  a  meeting-house  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  in- 
fants to  be  baptized  were  in  the  laps  of  their  nurses  in 
an  adjoining  vestry.  The  minister  ascended  the  pulpit, 
and  began  the  worship  by  reading  an  hymn,  which 
the  congregation  sang.  Then  he  prayed  in  a  modest, 
devout  manner,  adoring  the  perfections  of  God,  bless- 
ing him  for  the  mission  of  Christ,  deploring  the  de- 
pravities of  mankind,  and  beseeching  God  to  bless  all 
orders  of  men  in  general,  and  the  church  in  particular,  and 
praying  that  the  present  service  might  inform  the  igno- 
rant, and  confirm  the  truly  pious.  Prayer  finislied,  the 
people  sat  down,  and  he  read  his  text,  which  was  the 
tw^entieth  verse  of  the  seventy  fourth  Psalm  :  Hane  respect 
unto  the  co'uenant,  for  the  'dark  places  of  the  earth  are 
full  of  the  habitations  of  criithy.  He  began  by  observ- 
ing the  ignorance  and  immorality  of  the  Pagan  world  in 
general,  and  the  miserable  condition  of  this  country  in 
particular,  before  the  gospel  was  preached  to  its  inhabit- 
ants. He  enumerated  a  lew  of  the  benefits,  which  na- 
tions enlightened  by  the  gospel  enjoy  :  but  he  fixed 
on  one  suited  to  the  present  occasion,  and  mentioned  in 
the  text,  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  God  had  conde- 
scended to  make  with  Jesus  Christ  in  behalf  of  a  part  of 


REFORMED    BAPTISM.  487 

mankind.  He  observed,  that  God  had  made  a  cove- 
nant of  works  with  Adam,  and  in  him  with  his  posterity, 
wherein  life  was  promised  upon  condition  of  perfect 
and  personal  obedience.  This  covenant  Adam  by  his 
fall  had  broke,  and  had  cut  off  the  claim  of  ail  his  pos- 
terity, who  were  all  doomed  to  natural  and  eternal 
death  for  the  crime.  He  said,  God  in  his  infinite  mer- 
cy had  made  "a  second,  commonly  called  tiie  covenant 
of  grace,  wherein  he  freely  offereth  to  sinnets  life  and 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  requiring  of  them  faith  in  him 
that  they  may  be  saved,  and  promising  to  give  unto 
all  those,  that  are  ordained  unto  life,  his  Holy  Spirit, 
to  make  them  willing  and  able  to  believe."  He  added, 
this  covenant  was  the  same  that  was  made  with  Abra- 
ham and  his  family  :  that  it  had  been  administered  un- 
der the  law  by  sacrifices,  circumcision,  the  passover, 
and  other  types,  and  that  it  was  now  administered  under 
the  gospel  by  preaching,  baptism,  and  the  Lord's  sup» 
per.  "Baptism,"  he  said,  "was  a  sacrament  of  the 
New  Testament,  ordained  by  Jesus  Christ,  not  only  for 
the  solemn  admission  of  the  party  baptized  into  the 
visible  church  :  but  also  to  be  unto  him  a  sign  and  seal 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  of  his  ingrafting  into  Christ,  of 
regeneration,  of  remission  of  sins,  and  of  his  giving 
up  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  walk  in  new- 
ness of  life  (2)."  He  said,  the  ordinance  was  to  be 
continued  unto  the  end  of  the  world  :  the  administrat(3r 
•  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel  :  dipping  was  not  necessary, 
but  baptism  was  rightly  administered  by  pouring  or 
sprinkling  :  and  that  "not  only  those  that  do  actually 
profess  faith  in  and  obedience  unto  Christ,  bu't  also  the 
infants  of  one  or  both  believing  parents  were  to  bti 
baptized."  He  meant  by  parents,  grandfiuhers  and 
grandmothers,  great  grandfathers  and  great  grandmoth- 
ers, great  great  grand  fathers  and  great  great  graiid- 
mothers  ;  further  he  thought  they  ought  not  to  go,  but 
if  any  one  of  these  ancestors  had  been  a  believer,  thej-  in- 
fant might  claim,  as  the  seed  of  the  faithful,  the  benefit  of 
the  contract  rnade  with  Abraham.  He  closed  by  ob- 
serving, "  that  although  it  was  a  great  sin  to  neglec^c  this 
ordinance,  yet  grace  a.id  salvation  were  not  so  insepara- 
bly connected  with  it,  that  no  person  could  be  rege'ierat- 

(2)  Chap,  sxviii,    0/  Baptism. 


K  E,  r  u  It  ivi  c  u    is  A  r  1 1  b  Ji . 


ed  or  saved  without  it  :  or  that  all  that  were  baptized 
were  undoubtedly  regenerated."  He  adduced  a  multi- 
tude of  texts  from  both  testaments  to  prove  what  he  af- 
firmed. Having  finished  the  sermon,  he  came  down 
from  the  pulpit  to  the  table-pew.  One  deacon  of  the 
church  brought  two  towels,  one  he  spread  on  the  table, 
the  other  he  held  in  his  hand.  Another  followed  him 
with  a  bason  of  water,  which  he  put  on  the  table. 
The  fathers  of  the  inflints  came  next,  and  the  nurses 
followed  with  the  children.  The  administrator  then 
began,  by  saying,  Sujfer  little  children  to  come  unto  me 
(3)  :  on  which  he  observed  that  infant  baptism  was 
agreeable  to  Christ,  who  reproved  his  disciples,   when 

they  forbade  the  parents  to  bring  them that  people 

should  attend  less  to  the  sign  than  to  the  thing  signifi- 
ed   that  baptism  agreed  in  some  things  with  cir- 
cumcision,   but  that  in   others  it   differed that   in 

both  the  power  of  God  by  his  blessed  Spirit  could  and 

sometimes  did  effect  the  same that  adults  were  no 

more   capable   of    converting   themselves   than    infants 

that  all  were  children  of  wrath  by  nature,  and  the 

whole  work  of  regeneration  was  wrought  by  the  Spirit 
of  God that  if  infants  were  capable  of  the  thing  sig- 
nified, they  ought  to  be  admitted  to  the  sign.  Then  he 
prayed,  and,  in  the  name  of  the  parents,  professed 
to  take  hold  of  the  covenant  for  the  benefit  of  the  chil- 
dren, the  seal  of  which  was  baptism,  and  he  besought 
God  to  grant  them  grace  to  fulfil  thtir  solemn  engage- 
ments. After  prayer,  the  fathers  presented  the  children 
one  by  one,  and  the  minister  taking  the  child  into  his 
arms,  dipped  his  fingers'  ends  into  the  water,  sprifikled 
it  on  the  face  of  the  babe,  said  in  the  Fnean  time,  1  bap- 
tize thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  returoed  it  to  the  parent,  who 
gave  it  to  the  nurse.  Whei  all  had  been  sprinkled,  he 
wiped  his  fingers,  and  addressed  him'-elf  first  to  the 
parents,  eijoining  them  to  bring  up  the  Lord's  children 
in  his  fear,  and  then  to  all  the  audience,  exhorting  them 
to  recollect  and  fulfil  their  own  solemn  obligations. 
He  particularly  bespoke  the  attention  of  the  young  peo- 
ple, some  of  whom,  it  should  seem,  had  been  a(hiiitied 
in  the  same  manner  into  the  same  covenant,   and  the 

(3)  Joan.  Calvini  Institutio  Christians  Religienis.     Lib.  iv.    Cap.  16. 


REFORMED     BAPTISM.  489 

same  visible  church,  but  who,  now  that  they  were 
grown  up,  were  neither  members  of  the  visible  church, 
nor  regererated  :  but  on  the  contri  ry,  it^norunt  of  the 
doctrine  "of  Chrisiiauity,  averse  to  the  spirit  of  it,  'With- 
out hope,  withoui  Christy  'without  God  in  the  world.  He 
closed  all  with  a  sl.ort  prayer,  I  esetchii.g  the  Spirit  of 
God  to  bless  his  labours  with  success. 

Arminian  Congregational  Church  Baptism. 

It  was  on  principles  very  different  from  the  former 
that  another  pastor  administered  baptism  in  private  to 
the  twin  children  of  a  pious  family.  They  also  v\ ere 
Eiiglii,h  Nonconformists :  but  held  the  Arminian  system 
of  religion.  He  arrived  at  the  house  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  was  admitted  into  a  room,  where 
the  parents,  a  circle  of  ten  friends,  and  the  nurses  v\  ith 
the  children,  Vvcre  sitting.  There  was  a  bason  of  water, 
and  napkins  on  the  table.  After  he  had  paid  his  res- 
pects to  the  company,  and  all  were  seated,  he  began  with 
a  well-timed  compliment,  that  the  company  had  been 
too  well  informed  to  need  any  long  dissertation  on  the 
subject  of  baptism  ...  -  that  for  his  part,  viere  it  neces- 
sary to  take  a  text,  he  should  found  what  he  had  to  say 
on  an  expression  of  Paul,  Jesus  sent  me  not  to  baptize, 

but  to  preach  the  gospel that  God  was  a  being  of 

infinite  and  inconceivable  perfections that  all  crea- 
tures before  him  were  as  nothing that  there  was  a 

wide  difference  between  moral  and  positive  obligations, 
and  that  tl  e  latter  were  instituted  oily  for  the  sake  of 

the  former that  original  sin  was  a  fiction  of  the  schools, 

and  that  infant  baptism  on  that  prii.cij  le  was  received 
among  Christians  through  the  i;  fluence  of  Augustine  in 
the  fifth  century that  the  word  ba[)tize  did  not  nec- 
essarily signify  to  dip ai  d  so  on,  to  the  end  of  the 

system  ;  after  which  the  children  were  sprinkled,  and 
given  to  their  parents  to  be  educated  Christians. 

Various  as  these  modes  of  baptizing  are,  they  are  all 
nothing  but  reformed  baptism,  that  is,  the  old  papal  ser- 
vice amended.  The  renovation  of  a  lost  part  of  the 
worship  of  God  is  a  very  difieient  affair,  and  doth  not 
allow  old  errors  to  be  cast  into  new  forms  ;  but  clearing 
away  old  first  principles,  lays  another  foundation.  This 
honour  the  Baptists  claim. 

62 


490  THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM 


CHAP.  XXXVIII. 

The  Administration  of  Baptism   by  English,, 
Dutch,  American,  and  German  Baptists. 

THE  English  and  most  foreign  Baptists  consider  a 
personal  profession  of  faith  and  an  imn version  in  water 
essential  to  baptism.  The  profession  of  faith  is  gener- 
ally made  before  the  church  at  a  church-mteting. 
Some  have  a  creed  and  expect  the  candidate  to  assent 
to  it,  and  to  give  a  circumstantial  account  of  his  conver- 
sion. Others  only  require  a  person  to  profess  himself  a 
Christian.*  The  former  generally  consider  baptism  as 
an  ordinance,  which  initiates  persons  into  a  particular 
church  ;  and  they  say,  without  breach  of  Christian  liber- 
ty, ihey  have  a  right  to  expect  an  agreement  in  articles 
of  faith  in  their  own  societies.  The  latter  think  baptism 
only  initiates  into  a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion 
in  general,  and  therefore,  say  they,  we  have  no  right  to 
require  an  assent  to  our  creed  of  such  as  do  not  propose 
to  join  our  churches.  They  quote  the  baptism  of  the 
eunuch  in  the  eighth  of  Acts  in  proof.  There  are  some 
who  have  no  publick  faith,  and  who  both  administer 
baptism  and  admit  to  church  membership  any  who  pro- 
fess themselves  Christians.  They  administer  baptism 
both  in  their  own  baptisteries,  and  in  publick  waters, 
a.)d  it  may  not  be  improper  to  describe  a  baptism  of 
each  sort. 

The     Administration     of     Baptism     by     the 
English  Baptists. 

Not  many  years  ago  at  Whittlesford,  seven  miles 
from  Cambridge,  forty-eight  persons  were  baptized  in 
that  ford  of  the  river  from  which  the  village  takes  its 
name.  At  ten  o'clock  of  a  very  fine  morning  in  May, 
about  fifteen  hundred  people  of  different  ranks  assem- 
bled together.  At  half  past  ten  in  the  forenoon,  the 
late  Dr.  Andrew  Gilford,  Fellow  of  the  society  of  anti- 
quaries, Sublibrarian  of  the  British  Museum,  and 
Teacher  of  a  Baptist  congregation  in  Eagle- Street,  Lon- 
don, ascended  a  moveable  pulpit  in  a  large  open  court 

•  This  is  said  to  be  the  case  with  some  of  the  General  Baptists.   [£rf. 

V 


BV   THE    ENGLISH    BAPTISTS.  491 

yard,  near  the  river  and  adjoining  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord  of  the  Manor.  Round  him  stood  the  congrega- 
tion; people  on  horseback,  in  coaches,  and  in  carts, 
forming  the  out  side  semi-circle ;  many  other  persons 
sitting  in  the  rooms  of  the  house,  the  sashes  being  open. 
All  were  uncovered,  and  there  was  a  profound  silence. 
The  doctor  first  gave  out  an  hymn,  which  the  congregation 
sang  ;  then  he  prayed  for  all  mankind  in  general,  for  the 
king,  queen,  royal  family,  privy-council,  both  houses  of 
parliament,  the  judges,  and  all  civil  magistrates,  for  all 
raiiks  and  degrees  of  men,  for  the  prosperity  of  true  re- 
ligion, and  for  a  blessing  on  the  present  service  in  par- 
ticular. Prayer  ended,  he  took  out  a  New  Testament 
and  read  his  text :  /  ifideed  baptize  you  ivith  water  unto 
repentance.  He  observed  that  the  force  of  the  preposi- 
•  tions  had  escaped  the  notice  of  the  translators,  and  that 
the  true  reading  was,  I  indeed  baptize  you  in  water,  at 
or  upon  repentance,  which  sense  he  confirmed  by  the 
forty-first  verse  of  the  twelfth  of  Matthew,  and  other 
passages.  Then  he  spoke,  as  most  Baptists  do,  on 
these  occasions,  on  the  four  parts  of  this  subject.  First, 
on  the  Jiature  of  the  ordinance,  that  it  was  neither  a  Pa- 
gan nor  a  Jewish  rite,  but  a  New  Testament  institute  of 
divii.e  appointment :  1,  John,  by  divine  commission, 
baptize  you :  Secondly,  on  the  subject,  that  it  was  a  be- 
liever, and  not  an  infant,  who  was  incapable  of  perform- 
ing what  was  requisite  to  baptism,  faith  and  repentance, 
of  whom  it  would  be  hard  to  require  it,  for  whom  no 
proxy  was  appointed  or  could  be  admitted,  and  to 
whom  no  damage  could  come  if  he  were  left  without 
baptism,  who  could  do  the  church  no  good,  and  might 
do  it  a  great  deal  of  harm  :  I  baptize  you,  who  stand 
here  confessing  your  sins :  Thirdly,  he  observed  the 
mode,  that  it  was  dipping  and  not  spriiikling,  which  he 
endeavoured  to  prove  by  the  meaning  of  the  word  bap- 
tize, by  the  places  where  baptism  was  administered,  and 
by  several  other  circumstances :  I  baptize  or  dip  you  in 
water  :  Fourthly,  he  remarked  the  end  of  the  ordinance, 
and  shewed  that  it  was  appointed  to  express  a  conscien- 
tious belief  of  the  mission  of  Jesus,  and  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion.  He  observed,  that  religion  was  re- 
ligion, and  nothing  else,  and  ought  not  to  be  confound- 
ed with  civil  government,  learning,  law,  war,  trade,  or 


492  THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM 

any  thing  else.  He  closed  by  contrasting  the  doctrine 
of  infant-sprinkling,  which  was  left  to  shift  for  itself, 
with  that  of  believers'- baptism,  which  being  a  part 
of  Christian  obedience,  was  supported  by  divine  pronm- 
ises,  on  the  accomplishment  of  which  all  good  men 
might  depend.  After  sermon  he  read  another  hymn, 
and  pra\ed,  and  then  came  down.  Then  the  candidates 
for  baptism  retired  to  prepare  themselves. 

About  half  an  hour  after,  the  administrator,  who  that 
day  was  a  nephew  of  the  Doctor'-s,  and  admirably  quali- 
fied for  the  work,  in  a  long  black  gown  of  fine  baize, 
without  a  hat,  with  a  small  New  Testament  in  his  h<i  d, 
came  down  to  the  river  side  accompanied  by  several  Bap- 
tist ministers  and  deacons  of  their  churches,  and  the 
persons  to  be  baptized.  The  men  came  first,  two 
and  two,  without  hats,  and  dressed  as  usual,  except  • 
that  instead  of  coats  each  had  on  a  long  white  baize 
gown  tied  round  the  waist  with  a  sash.  Such  as  had 
no  hair  wore  white  cotton  or  linen  caps.  The  women 
followed  the  men,  two  and  two,  all  dressed  neat,  clean, 
and  plain,  and  their  gowns  white  linen  or  dimity.  It  was 
said,  the  garments  had  knobs  of  lead  at  bottom  to  make 
them  sink.  Each  had  a  long  light  silk  cloak  hanging 
loosely  over  her  shoulders,  a  broad  riband  tied  over 
her  gown  beneath  her  breast,  and  a  hat  on  her  head. 
They  all  ranged  themselves  round  the  administrator  at 
the  water  side.  A  great  multitude  of  spectators  stood 
on  the  banks  of  the  river  on  both  sides :  some  had 
climbed  and  sat  on  the  trees,  many  sat  on  horseback  and  in 
carria:;es,  and  all  behaved  with  a  decent  seriousness 
which  did  honour  to  the  good  sense  and  the  good  manners 
of  the  assembly,  as  well  aa  to  the  free  constitution  of 
this  country.  First,  the  administrator  read  an  hymn, 
which  the  people  sang.  Then  he  read  that  portion  of 
scripture,  ^hich  is  read  in  the  Greek  church  on  the 
same  occasion,  the  history  of  the  baptism  of  the  eunuch, 
beginning  at  the  twenty-sixth  verse,  and  ending  with  the 
thirty-ninth.  About  ten  minutes  he  stood  expounding 
the  verses,  and  then  taking  one  of  the  men  by  the  hand, 
he  led  him  into  the  water,  saying  as  he  went.  See  here 
is  watery  ivhat  doth  hinder  ?   If  thou  hdie'oest  with  all 

thine  hearty  thou  may  est  be  baptized When  he  came 

to  a  suilicient  depth  he  stopped,  and  with  the  utmost 


BY    THE    ENGLISH    BAPTISTS.  493 

composure  placing  himself  on  the  left  hand  of  the  man, 
his  face  being  toward  the  man's  shoulder,    he  put  his 
right  hand  between  his  shoulders  behind,  gathering  into 
it'a  little  of  the  gown  for  hold  :  the  fingers  of  his  left 
hand  he  thrusted  under  the  sash  before,  and  the  man 
putting  his  two  thumbs  into  that  hand,  he   locked   all 
together  by  closing  his  hatid.      Then   he  deliberately- 
said,  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  while  he  uttered  these 
words,  standing  wide,  he  gently  leaned  him  backward 
and  dipped  him  once.       As  soon  as  he  had  raised  him, 
a  person  in  a  boat,  fastened  there  for  the  purpose,  took 
hold  of  the  man's  hand,  wiped  his  face  with  a  napkin, 
and  led  him  a  few  steps  to  another  attendant,  who  then 
gave  him  his  arm,  walked  with  him  to  the  house,  and 
assisted  him  to  dress,     There  were  many  such  in  wait- 
ing, who  like  the  primitive  susceptors  assisted  during 
the  whole  service.     The  rest  of  the  men  followed  the 
first,  and  were  baptized  in  like  manner.     After  them  the 
women  were  baptized.     A  female  friend  took  off  at  the 
water  side  the  hat  and  cloak.      A  deacon  of  the  church 
led  one  to  the  administrator,    and  another  from  him  ; 
and  women  at  the  water- side  took  each  as  she  came  out 
of  the  river  and  conducted  her  to  the  apartment  in  the 
house,  wheie  they  dressed  themselves.     When  all  were 
baptized,  the  administrator,  coming  up  out  of  the  river, 
and  standing  at  the  side,  gave  a  short  exhortation  on  the 
honour  and  the  pleasure  of  obedience  to  divine  com- 
mands, and  then  with  the  usual  benediction  dismissed 
the  assembly.     About  half  an  hour  after,  the  men  newly 
baptized  having  diessed  themselves,  went   from   their 
rooms  into  a  large  hall  in  the  house,  where  they  were 
presently  joined  by  the  women,  who  came  from  their 
apartments  to  the  same  place.     Then  they  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  the  administrator,  who  was   dressing  in  his 
apartment,    to  iiiform  him  they  waited  for  him.      He 
presently  came,  and  first  prayed  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  closed  the  \s  hole  by  a  short  discourse  on  the  bless- 
ii  gs  of  civil  and   religious   liberty,  the   sufficiency   of 
scripture,  the  pleasure  of  a  good  conscience,  the    im- 
ptriauce  of  a  holy  life,  and  the  prospect  of  a  blessed  im- 
mortality.    This  they  called  a  piiblick  baptism^ 


494  THE    ADMINISTRATION-    OF    BAPTISltf: 

There  was  a  private  ba;)tism  at  Cambridge,  in  the 
same  month  of  May.      The  Bnptist  congregation  there 
have  a  small  garden  walled  in  adjoining  to  their  meeting- 
house.    In  the  middle  of  this  is  an  oval  baptistery  with 
steps  at  each  end.     The  bath  and  the  steps  take  up  the 
whole  length  of  the  garden,  and  there  is  a  parlour  or  ves- 
try at  each  end,  so  that  on  opening  the  door  of  one  room 
you  may  either  walk  round  the  baptistery,  or  step  direct- 
ly down  into  it,   and,   passing  through  it,  go  up  the  op- 
posite steps  into  the  opposite  room.     This  baptistery  is 
filled  and  emptied  by  a  pump  and  proper  pipes.     \n  one 
of  these  rooms,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  three 
gentlemen  to  be  baptized,  their  friends  and  attendants, 
and  the  administrator,  in  all  about  twelve,  be^>ide  ser- 
vants, by  appointment,  met.     After  all  were  seated,   the 
administrator  stood  up,  and  discoursed  about  half  an 
hour  on  the  purity  and  perfection  of  the  Supreme  Being — 
the  dignity  of  man  made  in  his  image  an  intelligent  be- 
ing— -the  splendour  and  the  variety  of  the  works  of  cre- 
ation, and  the  wisdom  of  Providence  in  making  all  in- 
ferior to  the  nature  and  unequal  to  the  perfect  felicity  of 
man — the  necessity  of  some  religion,  the  imperfection 
of  natural  religion,  and  the  absolute  perfection  and  suf- 
ficiency of  revelation — the  character  of  Jesus  as  it  stood 
exhibited  in   his  doctrine  and  example — the  propriety 
and  beauty  of  his  institutes,  and  the  reasons  for  obe\  ing 
them.     Then  he  came  to  baptism,  and  briefly  stated  the 
nature  of  positive  rites,  the  dissolution  ot  the  Jewish 
economy,  and  the  express  institution  of  baptism.     Then 
he  spoke  of  the  subject,   the  mode,  and  the  end.     He 
closed  by  saying,  he  was  only  one  servant,  among  thous- 
ands, of  Jesus,  the  great  Master;    that  he  assumed  no 
authority  over  the  consciences  of  any  of  his  telio  a  -ser- 
vants ;  that  he  rejected  every  kind  offeree  in  reli.L'ion  ; 
and  that  he  was  ready  to  baptize  any  who  should  pioless 
to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  for  he  took  baptism  not  for  a 
church-ordinance,  but  for  a  profession  of  Christianity 
at  large.      He  then  sat  down.     The  candidates  one  alter 
another  stood  up,  and  each  said,  I  beliei^e  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  into  this  pro] ession  I  desire 
to  be  baptized.     Then  all  kneeled  down,  and  the  admin- 
istrator in  the  name  of  all  adored  God.     He  praised  the 
perfections  of  his  nature,  and  the  wisdom  and  goodness 


BY    THE    ENGLISH    BAPTISTS.  495 

of  his  government.      He  thanked  him  above  all  for  so 
loving  the  world  as  to  send  Jesus,  that  good  Shepherd, 
to  seek  and  to  save  them  that  were  lost.      He  blessed 
him  for  the  honour  he  had  done  them  in  calling  them 
by  the  gospel  to  believe  truths  of  the  highest  excel- 
lence, and  to  practise  a  morality  of  the  utmost   purity. 
He  praised  him  for  the  Reformation,  and  the  civil  and 
religious  liberty  of  his  country;  he  prayed  that  the  light 
of  the  glory  of  God  which  had  begun  to  shine  upon  the 
world  in  the  face  of  Jesus,  might  shine  more  and  more 
unto  the  perfect  day  ;  and  he  closed  by  beseeching  him 
to  condescend  to  accept  the  present  as  a  reasonable  ser- 
vice.    Then  they  rose  up,  and  the  candidates  and  the 
administrator  retired  apart  to  prepare  for  baptism.     A- 
bout  twenty  after,  they  returned ;  he  dressed  as  usual, 
except  that  instead  of  a  coat  he  had  on  a  long  black  gown 
of  thin  prince's  stuff — and  they,  light  linen  under  dress- 
es, and  over  all,  long  fine  white  baize  bathing-gowns, 
tied  round  the  waist  with  a  strong  riband.     The  doors 
of  the  two  rooms  being  opened,  the   attendants  went 
into  the  garden,  and  stood  some  on  the  side  of  the  bap- 
tistery, and  others  on  the  steps  of  the  further  end,  with 
napkins  in  their  hands.      The  administrator  standing 
with  the  candidates  at  the  head  of  the  steps  took  out  of 
his  bosom  a  small  New-Testament,  and  read  these  words> 
Ktww  ye  not^  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized  into 
Jesus   Christy   were  baptized  into  his  death  :  therefore 
•  we  are  buried  ivith  him  by  baptism  into  death  ;  that  like 
as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the 
Father^   eiien  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness  oj  life. 
For  if  we  haiie  been  planted  together  in  the  'likeness  of 
his  death  :    we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  his  resur- 
rection :    knowing  this,  that  our  old  man  is  crucified  with 
him,   that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that  hence- 
forth we  shoidd  not  seme  sin.     For  he  that  is  dead,  is 
Jreed  Jrom  sin.      Now  if  we  be  dead  with  Christ,  ive 
belie'ue  that  we  shall  also  li've  ivtth  him  :    knowing  that 
Christ,  being  raised  from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more  :  death 
hath  no  more  dominion  o'ver  him.     For  in  that  he  died^ 
he  aied  unto  sin  once  :    but  in  that  he  li'veth,  he  liveth 
unto  God.     Likewise  reckon  ye  also  yoursches  to  be  dead 
indeed   unto  sin  :     but  ali've  unto  God  through    Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,      Then  giving  the  book  to  an  officer 


496  THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM 

of  the  congregation,  who  attended  him,  he  led  one  of 
the  Ccin  lidates  by  the  hand  down  the  steps,  saying  as  he 

went,  he  that  bdieiicth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  sailed 

Jesus  left  us  an  example^  that  ye  should  follow  his  steps. 
Then  lie  baptized  him  as  those  just  now  mentioned  had 
been  baptized,  in  the  river.  The  other  two  followed, 
and  each,  after  the  ceremony,  went  up  the  steps  at 
the  further  end,  and  into  the  adjoining  apartments  to 
dress,  their  friends  assisting  them.  After  they  had 
dressed  themselves,  they  all  returned  into  the  first  room, 
and  the  administrator  read  the  remaining  part  of  the 
sixth  of  Romans,  discoursed  a  few  minutes  on  that  obli- 
gation to  holiness  under  which  they  had  just  now  laid 
themselves,  a  ;d  closed  with  a  short  prayer  for  all  orders 
of  men,  for  the  king,  and  all  civil  rulers,  for  the  magis- 
trates of  the  town  and  the  university,  for  Christians  of  all 
denon)inaiions.  and  particularly  for  the  newly  baptized, 
that  thty  might  adorn,  by  a  holy  life,  that  rel-gion, 
which  they  had  now  professed  to  believe.  At  the  end 
he  pronounced  the  usual  benediction,  and  the  assembly 
broke  up. 

In  this  manner,  with  a  few  variations,  this  ordinance 
is  generally  administered  by  the  English  and  most 
foreign  Bap'ists.  Some  baptize  in  the  sea,  others  in 
rivers,  or  clear  ponds,  many  in  baptisteries,  which  in 
some  places  are  in  their  meeting-houses,  and  in  others 
near  them  ;  some  are  plain,  others  costly  ;  but  on  the 
whole  affair,  there  are  two  or  three  observations  to  be 
made. 

Justice  requires  every  man  to  be  tried  by  that  law 
under  which  he  pretends  to  act.  He  who  baptizes  by  a 
ritual,  is  to  be  examined  by  the  ritual  ;  and  if  he  con- 
forms to  that,  he  is  consistent  with  himself.  The 
Baptists  profess  to  baptize  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
Kew- Testament,  and,  by  requiring  a  personal  profession 
of  fairh,  and  by  dipping  the  whole  person  in  water,  they 
seem  to  act  consistently.  The  very  plain  manner 
in  which  they  baptize  is  a  high  degree  of  probability  in 
their  fuvonr  :  but  they  appear  to  have  varied  a  little 
from  the  original  form,  which,  however,  the  free  consti- 
tution of  their  churches  allows  them  any  day  to  alter. 
There  is  no  pattern  in  scripture  for  singing,  at  the  ad- 
ministration, unless  singing  be  reputed,  as  it  very  well 


BY    THE    ENGLISH    BAPTISTS.  4y/ 

may  in  some  compositions,  a  mode  of  praying  or  prais- 
ing God.  They  baptize  transversely,  by  laying  a  per- 
son down  backward  under  water  :  but  this  is  a  meil.od 
troublesome  and  inconvenient  to  some  people,  especially 
to  such  administrators  as  are  not  so  tall  as  ti.e  candi- 
dates ;  and  it  requires  more  time,  it  not  more  strength, 
than  in  some  cases  can  be  afforded.  The  bypiism  of 
three  thousand  in  one  day,  by  the  twelve  aposiles,  hath 
always  been  objected  against  tliis  mode  of  baptiziii;^, 
and  though  the  answers  given  by  these  Baptists  are 
satisfactory,  yet  a  more  simple  account  is  more  satistac- 
tory. 

If  the  apostles  baptized  in  the  manner  described  in 
the  most  ancient  monuments,  the  whole  is  easy  and 
artless ;  each  might  baptize  one  a  minute,  and  the 
twelve  would  baptize  the  whole  three  thousand  in  two 
hours  and  five  minutes  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  same 
time  in  the  afternoon.  The  Christians  of  the  middle 
ages,  whose  monuments  remain,  baptized  in  the  follow- 
ing manner.  The  administrator  walked  into  the  water, 
leading  the  person  to  be  baptized.  At  fiist,  all 
baptisteries  were  sunk  in  the  ground,  and  were  kept 
at  bet v\  ten  three  and  four  feet  water  by  pifies  alv\ays 
conveying  in,  and  by  waste  pipes  always  carrying  off 
the  overplus.  In  later  times,  some  uere  large  baths 
above  ground,  into  which  the  candidates  went  by  as- 
cending three  steps  without  side,  and  by  descendi'  g 
three  within  side,  and  the  admiiistrator  stood  on  one 
side  without,  and  so  administered  the  ordinance. 
Theie  is,  it  is  said,  such  a  cisiern  now  in  the  church  of 
Cranbrooke,  in  Kent  :  but  smaller  than  the  ancient 
baptisteiies.  Some  had  ornamented  roofs  set  on  pillars, 
and  the  steps  of  those  in  the  ground  were  three.  The 
administrator,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  water,  stood 
on  the  light  side  of  the  candidate,  his  face  looking  to 
his  shoulder.  The  candidate  stood  erect,  and  the  ad^ 
mini'trator,  while  he  pronounced  the  baptismal  words, 
laid  his  right  hand  on  the  hind  part  of  the  head  of  the 
candidate,  and  bov\ed  him  gently  forward,  till  he  was  all 
under  water.  Hence  baptism  was  taken  for  ai.  act  of 
diviie  worship,  a  Stooping,  ai  d  pa}inga  profound  hom- 
age to  God,  Tile  baptized  peiiaon  raised  himself  up, 
63 


4'98  i'HE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    BAPTISM 

and  walked  out  of  the  water,  and  another  candidate  fol- 
lowed, the  administrator  standing  all  the  time  erect  in 
his  place.  This  method  hath  more  than  antiquity  to  re- 
commend it.  It  is  so  easy  to  the  administrator,  so  per- 
fect an  immersion,  so  disengaged  to  the  candidate,  so 
free  from  giving  pain  to  the  spectators,  a  method  so 
decent  and  expeditious,  that  it  is  a  wonder  it  is  not  uni- 
versally practised.  It  requires  for  a  middle-sized  per- 
son, on  condition  of  a  proper  genuflexion,  which  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  avoid  making  in  the  administration, 
three  feet  of  water,  and  for  a  very  tall  man  three  feet 
and  a  half.  There  are,  as  was  observed  before,  the  re- 
mains of  many  ancient  baptisteries  abroad,  in  which  arc 
various  antiquities  descriptive  of  this  mode.  The 
bishop  stood  in  the  water,  and  the  candidate  in  his  bap- 
tism bowed  forward  under  his  hand,  which  is  the  mean- 
ing of  Prudentius,  when  he  speaks  of  baptizing  the 
breast,  and  of  TertuUian,  when  he  says,  Christians  of 
his  time  were  baptized  by  bowing  down  with  great  sim- 
plicity, without  pomp,  and  in  few  words.  The  Bap- 
tist churches,  it  may  be  hoped,  will  forgive  this  animad- 
version. It  is  the  glory  of  their  constitution,  that  an 
individual  may  propose  his  opinion,  and  that  nobody  is 
obliged  to  adopt  it. 

The  Administration  of  Baptism  by  the  Dutch 
Baptists. 

The  Dutch  Baptists  reject  infant  baptism,  and  ad- 
minister the  ordinance  only  to  such  as  profess  faith  and 
repentance  :  but  they  baptize  by  pouring.  They  assign 
in  general  six  reasons  for  the  baptism  of  believers,  and 
the  rejection  of  infants.  The  first  is,  the  command 
of  Christ  in  the  twenty-eighth  of  Matthew,  Go  ye, 
therefore^  and  teach  all  nations^  baptizing  them  :  first 
teach  them,  then  baptize  them.  The  second  is,  the  ne- 
cessary prerequisite,  a  personal  profession  of  faith,  of 
which  infants  are  incapable  :  the  eunuch  asked,  fVhat 
doth  hinder  me  to  he  baptized  ?  Philip  answered,  If  thou 
helie'Dest  ijoith  all  thine  heart  thou  may  est.  The  third  is, 
that  professing  of  Christianity,  which  is  expected  of  the 
person  baptized  :  as  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized 
into  Christ  ha've  put  on  Christ,    The  fourth  is,  the  habit 


BY  THE  DUTCH    AND  AMERICAN  BAPTISTS.       409 

of  living,  which  is  required  both  at  and  after  baptism, 
which  is  repentance  and  newness  of  life  :  Repent  and  be 
baptized :  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized  unto  Jesus 
Christy  shoidd  walk  in  newness  of  life.  The  fifth  is, 
the  sign  and  seal  of  communion  with  Jesus,  both  in  his 
death  and  resurrection  :  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized 
into  Jesus  Christ  were  baptized  unto  his  death  :  i?i 
baptism  ye  are  risen  with  him  through  faith  of  the 
operation  of  God.  The  sixth  is,  the  stipulation  of  the 
baptized  to  devote  themselves  wholly  to  the  service  of 
God  :  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father^  and  of  the 
Son.  and  of  the  Holy  Gliost.  In  defence  of  these  princi- 
ples, they  quote  the  concessions  of  both  Catholicks  and 
Protestants,  as  of  Witsius,  Limborch,  Vossius,  and 
many  other  learned  men,  as  well  as  the  arguments  of 
writers  of  their  own  community  :  who  all  give  a  ver- 
dict against  the  competency  of  infants  to  partake  of  this 
ordinance,  but  they  hold  themselves  bound  to  nothing 
but  their  own  sense  of  scripture. 

Menno,  the  father  of  the  Dutch  Baptists,  says,  "after 
we  have  searched  ever  so  diligently,  we  shall  find  no 
other  baptism  besides  dipping  in  water  \doopsel  inden 
water"]  which  is  acceptable  to  God,  and  maintained  in 
his  word(l)."  Menno  was  dipped  himself,  and  he 
baptized  others  by  dipping  :  but  some  of  his  followers 
introduced  pouring,  as  they  imagined  through  necessity, 
in  prison,  and  now  the  practice  generally  prevails.  The 
candidate  kneels,  the  minister  holds  his  hands  over  his 
head,  the  deacon  pours  in  water,  which  runs  through 
on  the  top  of  the  head.  Then  follow  imposition  of 
hands  and  prayer.  The  narrator  of  this  observes,  *'  that 
the  requisition  of  faith  and  repentance  in  the  Dutch 
baptisms,  keeps  the  world  and  the  church  asunder,  as 
baptism  was  intended  to  do,  for,  adds  he,  where  the 
baptism  of  infants  prevails  there  is  no  world,  all  arc 
church  (2)." 

English-American  Baptism. 

During  the  reigns  of  the  Stuarts  persecution  fell  with 
intolerable  weight  on  the  Baptists  in  England,  and  thejr 

(1)  Mennonis  Simonis.  Opera.  1539.  pag.  24 

(2)  Morgan  Edwards.  Materials  tonvard  a  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Penn.' 
tyhatiia.  Vol.  i.  pag.  94. 


500  BAPTISM    BY    GERMAN    BAPTISTS. 

fied  into  America.  Tlieir  history  hath  been  lately  writ- 
ten by  one  of  thfir  minis(ers(  3).  They  have  continued 
ever  since  to  believe  the  doctrine,  and  practise  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  Calviiiist  churches  of  their  niother-coun- 
try,  so  that  their  baptism  resembles  that  of  :he  Enghsh 
B  iptists,  and  there  is  no  need  to  attempt  a  description 
of  it  here. 

The  Administration  of  Baptism  by  the  Ger- 
man Baptists  IN  America. 

The  German  Baptists  in  America,  called  Tunkers  or 
Dippers,  baptize  so  as  to  include  the  principal  forms  of 
the  English,  the  Dutch,  and  the  Greeks  (4).  The  ad- 
ministrator with  the  candidate  goes  in  o  a  river.  The 
candidate  kneels  down  in  the  water,  and  the  administra- 
tor puts  his  hand  on  his  head,  and  bends  him  forward  till 
he  is  immersed  ;  he  does  this  three  times,  pronouncing 
during  the  ceremon)  the  usual  baptismal  words.  The 
baptized  continues  kneeling  till  the  administrator  prays, 
and  lays  on  hands,  then  he  rises  and  departs.  Trine 
immersion  is  very  easily  performed  this  vvay  :  kneeling 
scenes  dUtimed  ;  but  the  reflection  of  the  historian, 
that  it  doth  not  represent  a  burial,  is  not  quite  ac- 
curate ;  for  to  bury,  in  a  figurative  sense,  which  ig 
the  sense  of  the  apostle  Paul,  is  to  conceal,  to  hide, 
to  put  out  of  sight,  to  cover,  and  in  the  present 
case  to  cover  with  water.  It  is  not  the  posture  of  the 
body,  but  the  overflowing  of  the  water  that  seems  to 
be  intended.  Thus  it  is  said,  buried  in  snow,  buried  in 
thought,  buried  in  the  world,  buried  in  books ;  and 
in  this  sense  ecclesiastical  writers  understood  a  being 
buried  in  water  in  baptism  (5)  :  not  for  the  exposure 
of  a  corpse,  but  for  the  covering  of  a  man,  as  Jesus 
was  covered  in  the  grave. 

The  first  English  B  iptists,  when  they  read  the  phrase 
buried  in  baptism,  instantly  thought  of  an  English  burial, 

(3)  In  tivo  volumes  8vo.  By  the  Rtv.  Isaac  Backus  ;  thejirst  at  Boston, 
1'777,  the  second  at  Fro-cidence,   1784. 

(4)  M.  Edwards,  as  before,  page  67 Ludwig.  Tauchen  oder  Tunckem 

to  duck,  dive  or  jounce,  under  •water. 

(5)  Gregorii  Nyssen.  Orat.  de  Baptls.  Nos  baptisma  ussumentes  ad  im- 
itationem   Domini,  in  terra   qiiidem    non   sepelimur,   sed  ad  lerrae  cogna- 

tum  elementurn  venientes,  in  itla,  sicut  salvator  in  terra,  absconditnus. 

Honori  Augustodun.  I)e  Can.  Dom.  Serin.  Triduo  Domino  consepelimOP 
cum  ter  undid  immersi  quasi  terra  optrimur. 


TRUE  GROUNB  OF  ACTION  IN  RELIGION.   501 

and  therefore  baptized  by  laying  the  body  in  the  form 
of  burying  in  their  own  country  ;  but  they  might  have 
observed  that  Paul  wrote  to  Romans,  and  that  Romans 
did  not  bury,  but,  burned  the  dead,  and  buried  nothing 
of  the  dead  but  their  ashes  in  urns  ;  so  that  no  fair  reas- 
oning on  the  form  of  baptizing  can  be  drawn  from  tlic 
mode  of  burying  the  dead  in  England. 


CHAP.   XXXIX. 

The  true  Ground  of  Action  in  Religion, 

IN  general  there  are  only  two  grounds  of  action  in  re- 
ligion, force  and  choice  :  but  strictly  speaking,  there  are 
three,  which  may  be  called,  for  distinction  sake,  power, 
passion,  and  reason  :  but  the  last  is  the  only  safe 
ground. 

Power  is  not  a  righteous  Ground  of  Action. 

Power  over  religion  and  conscience  is  iniquitous  in 
every  form.  If  it  be  exercised  by  a  state,  it  is  civil  tyr- 
amiy  :  if  by  a  council  or  a  synod,  by  one  ecclesiastick 
or  more,  it  is  ecclesiastical  tyranny  :  if  by  a  parent  or  a 
master,  a  guardian,  or  a  tutor,  it  is  domestick  tyranny  ; 
the  same  thing  in  different  hands.  Jesus  foretold,  that 
such  an  unnatural  dominion  would  be  exercised  under 
the  sacred  name  of  the  sermce  of  God;  and  time  hath 
fully  verified  the  prediction.  The  long  reign  of  the 
church  of  Rome  gave  this  exercise  of  power  a  full  op- 
portunity to  display  itself  in  every  light,  and  in  all  its 
pdssible  effects ;  and  negligent  to  a  degree  must  that 
Protestant  have  been,  who,  at  this  age  of  Christianity, 
and  with  the  history  of  so  many  centuries  before  his 
e}es,  is  not  able  to  determine  what  dominion  over  con- 
science can,  and  what  it  cannot  do.  It  can  mask,  di- 
vide, degrade,  and  destroy  the  human  species  :  but  it 
cannot  support  Christianity,  and  it  utterly  annihilates 
the  credit  of  it.  Three  great  errors  constitute  the  core 
of  this  fatal  excrescence  ;  three  errors  introduced  into 
the  healthful  Christian  body  by  the  intemperance  of  a 
few  in  remote  parts  of  the  globe,  and  matured  in  times 


502  THE      TRUE      GROUND 

of  thick  universal  darkness.  The  first  is,  that  the  care 
of  souls  doth  not  lie  in  souls  themselves  :  but  in  cxtrin- 
sick  hands,  to  whom  Almiirhty  God  haih  committed  the 
trust:  as  if  there  were  any  principle  stronge''  than  self- 
love,  as  if  any  foreig'n  trustees  would  take  more  care  of 
the  soul,  than  the  soul  would  of  itself.  The  second  is, 
that  there  is  a  xfvpiov  hy^ca,  a  something  deep  and  myste- 
rious in  Christicjiuiy,  ii accessible  to  the  eye,  and  inevi- 
dent  to  the  understanding;  of  ordinary  men,  and  yet  so 
essential  to  their  particij)ation  of  the  benefirs  of  the 
Christian  relis;ion,  that  they  cannot  be  saved  without  be- 
lieving; it.  This  exhibits  a  revelation  unreveaied,  and  it 
prepares  the  mind  to  ejrovel  in  credulity.  The  third 
is,  the  affixing  of  ,Q;uilt  to  errors  of  the  mind.  I'hc 
first  sinks  the  bulk  below  manhood,  and  raises  the  few 
above  it.  The  second  oppresses  the  degraded  bulk 
with  intolerable  burdens,  and  elevates  the  rest  into  the 
condition  of  privy-counsellors  of  heaven  in  private,  and 
representatives  of  prophets,  apostles,  and  princes,  and 
even  the  King  of  kings  himself  in  publick.  The  third 
strips  the  slaves  of  the  reputation  of  real  virtue,  and  as- 
cribes to  them  imaginary  crimes,  which  attributes  be- 
come reasons  for  their  lords  to  inflict  punishments  on 
them.  All  dominion  over  conscience  includes  some 
degree  of  these  errors  :  different  ages  and  different 
churches  exercising  such  power  are  to  be  placed  in  dif- 
ferent stages  of  the  depravity  :  and  the  Catholick  inqui- 
sition is  nothing  but  the  consummation  and  perfect  ripe- 
ness of  the  system. 

The  best  and  most  complete  history  of  the  inquisition 
was  partly  published  at  Madrid,  in  the  reign  of  Philip  II. 
by  Doctor  Lewis  a  Paramo,  one  of  the  judges  of  that 
formidable  tribunal  in  the  kingdom  of  Sicily.  It  is  said 
partly,  because  the  author  intended  to  add  two  volumes 
more :  but,  it  seems,  the  holy  office  quietly  prevented 
the  publication  of  the  other  volumes,  and  the  reprinting 
of  this,  and  collected  and  concealed  the  books  which 
had  been  published,  prudently  judging  that  an  expo- 
sure of  their  powers  might  subject  the  office  to  a  limita- 
tion. In  this  most  curious  book,  which  is  full  of  in- 
formation, the  practice  of  the  courts  of  inquisition  and 
the  rules  and  reasons  of  proceeding  are  dearly  and  fully 


OF    ACTION    IN     RELIGION.  503 

laid  open  (l).  Heresy,  the  chief  crime  to  be  punished, 
is  defined  with  the  utmost  precision,  according-  to  the  ideas 
of  theinqniiitorial  judges,  to  be  anopinion  coFitrary  to  faith, 
in  a  Christian  with  obstinacy  {'2).  The  culprit  is  a  Chris- 
tian by  profession,  for  persons  not  professing  Christian- 
ity are  infidels,  not  hereticks.  It  is  called  an  opiiiion^ 
because  it  is  precisely  an  act  of  the  understanding  and 
not  of  the  will,  though  it  implies  volition.  It  is  defined 
an  opinion  contrary  to  faitli^  because  an  error  concern- 
ing discipline  is  not  heresy.  It  is  said  to  be  attended 
with  obstinacy^  because  if  a  person  renounces  an  error 
on  receiving  information  that  what  he  holds  is  errone- 
ous, he  is  not  deemed  an  heretick.  The  union  of  four 
things  then  constitutes  an  heretick  :  he  must  be  a  pro- 
fessed Christian he  must  choose  to  form  an  opin- 
ion, which  is  an  exercise  of  the  understanding  and  the 
will . in  this  opinion  he  must  persevere  ;  this  is  ob- 
stinacy -  -  -  -  and  finally,  the  opinion  which  he  hath 
formed,  and  in  which  he  chooses  to  persevere,  must  be 
contrary  to  fiiith  (3).  The  question  is,  what  doth  the 
holy  office  mean  by  faith,  contrariety  to  which  is 
deemed  of  the  essence  of  heresy?  The  learned  judge 
replies,  faith  is  to  be  taken  here  objectively,  for  truths  of 
religion  to  be  believed  :  Thus,  adds  he,  should  you 
affirm  that  the  earth  is  bigger  than  the  sun,  it  would  be 
an  error  and  not  an  heresy,  because  the  position  doth 
not  belong  to  religion.  If  it  be  asked,  what  are  the 
truths  of  religion  to  be  believed  ?  The  answer  is,  what- 
ever the  church  hath  determined  concerning  faith  and 
practice.  If  the  scripture  be  objected,  the  judge  of  the 
holy  office  will  reply,  that  in  a  case  of  doubt  between 
the  prisoner  and  the  bench   concerning   the   sense  of 

(1)  Ludovici  a  Paramo.  De  origine  et  Progressu  Officii  Sanctae  In- 
qulsitionis,  &c.     Lib.  tres.  Matriti.  1598. 

(2)  Ibid. 

(3)  Ibid.  Q^iatiior  apponunUir,  qiise  hseresim  constituere  videntur.  Pri» 
wiiim  est  electio  opinionis  fal^se.  et  doctrinae  pervei;,:e,  ami.ssa  Catholica 
veritate  :  sic  liaeresis  est  error  intellecius  SecuiuUim  est,  quod  lixresis 
est  circa  ea  quae  pertinent  ad  fidem,  vel  sunt  contra  deternnin;ttionofn 
ecclesis  circa  fidem,  vcl  circa  bonos  mores.  Tertium  est  divisio 
a  Catholica  fide,  quia  de  lis  qui  foris  sunt  nilul  ad  nos.  Qiiartum  est 
peitm.ix  adhres^io  ill,  issertioni  fjlsje  ;  sic  est  obslinatio  in  voliintate  -, 
pertinacia  autsm  cognoscitur  muUis  modis.    Ad  prinaum  dico,  &c. 


504  THE      TRUE      GROUND 

scripture,  that  is  to  be  taken  for,  the  true  sense  which 
the  Pope  and  councils  have  declared  (4). 

Some  Protestants  have  called  this  inquisitorial  juris- 
prudence the  essence,  and  many  Catholicks  have  called 
it  the  support  of  the  Catholick  religion.  Rather  let  it  be 
denominated  the  essence  of  tyranny  to  support  any 
form  of  religion.  There  are  three  undeniable  proofs 
that  the  inquisition  is  not  necessary  to  the  support  of  the 
Catholick  form  of  religion.  One  is  the  date  of  the  holy- 
office.  The  first  inquisitor  was  appointed  by  Pope  In- 
nocent iii.  in  the  year  twelve  hundred  and  sixteen  :  but 
the  Catholick  church  subsisted  in  great  splendour  long 
before  that  time.  Next,  it  is  remarkable  that  some 
Catholick  countries  never  admitted  of  an  inquisition. 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  never  had,  at  their 
worst  times,  enough  of  a  spirit  of  submission  to  author- 
ity to  allow  of  this  kind  of  government.  It  is  also  with 
the  highest  satisfaction  to  be  observed,  that  many  affirm, 
the  modern  Catholick  world  hath  of  late  years  disused 
the  aid  of  this  court  in  matters  of  religion.  The  inqui- 
sition hath,  no  doubt,  destroyed  a  great  number  of 
lives  :  but,  as  the  office  used  to  take  cognizance  of  oth- 
er crimes  beside  heresy,  the  executions  ought  not  to  be 
all  placed  to  the  account  of  religion.  In  sixteen  hun- 
dred and  eighty,  nineteen  persons  were  burnt  at  an  auto 
de  fe  at  Madrid.  Twelve  were  Jews,  one  was  a  Span- 
ish renegade,  who  had  turned  Mohammedan,  and  six 
were  women.  There  were  three  rag- merchants,  one 
slop-seller,  one  inn-keeper,  one  soldier,  two  snuff-dcal- 
crs,  one  pedlar,  one  strolling  silversmith,  and  three 
were  vagabonds.  Ten  had  no  property  to  be  confiscat- 
ed, and  it  is  not  clear  that  any  of  them  were  condemi.ed 
for  heresy.  A  gentleman,  who  travelled  through 
Portugal  and  Spain  in  the  years  seventeen  hundred  and 

seventy-one two,  affirms,  that  no  person  in  either  of 

these  kingdoms  had  been  put  to  death  on  a  religious 

(4)  Ibid    pag  553.    Axiom,  iii     Eaquae  ad  fidem  spectant  habent  sep- 

tem  gradus Articuli  fidei sacra  scriptura traditiones diffini- 

tiones  conciliorum decreta  pontificum quae  ex  his  evidenter   dedu- 

cuntur quje    consensu    patrunn    recepta    sunt Omnis    qosestio,    qiijc 

oritur  circa  sciipturarum  lectiones,  statim  defertur  ad  ecclesiam,  ut  ipsa 

judicet  quid  tenendum  sit Ecclesia  est  convocatip  muUorum  ad  uniii* 

Dei   cultuni Catliolica    non    potest    errarc Romana    est    omniuOi 

water  et  magistra— Ecclesia  et  imperium  fraternizant,  &.c. 


OI'     ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  505 

account  during  the  last  fourteen  years.  Other  travellers 
remark  the  decline  of  the  office  in  other  states.  This 
great  evil  hath  begun  to  correct  itself,  and  the  Chrisiiaii 
world  hatli  discovered  that  to  compel  people  to  profe-^s 
to  believe  what  the  church  believes,  is  only  to  force 
honest  men  to  play  the  hypocrite.  There  is  no 
tenable  ground,  except  that  of  allowing  all  men  to  form 
their  own  sentiments,  laying  aside  all  manner  of  coer- 
cive measures  in  the  church,  and  confining  the  civil 
magistrate  to  the  cognizance  of  overt  acts,  which  injure 
society. 

[A  number  of  observations,  which  ^o  to  prove  that  the  spirit  of 
the  Inquisition  has  been  dispUyed  in  too  many  Protestant  church- 
es, are  here  omitted.     £d.] 

The  greatest  man  among  the  Baptists  at  the  Reform- 
ation, the  celebrated  Andrew  Dudith,  a  man  to  be  held 
in  everlasting  remembrance,  much  for  his  rank,  more 
for  his  abilities  and  virtue,  but  most  of  all  for  his  love  of 
liberty,  entered  beyond  all  others  into  the  spirit  of  this 
subject,  and  simplified  the  whole  affair  so  that  a  peasant 
might  understand  it,  by  proposing  only  one  plain  ques- 
tion. *'To  whom  do  you,  divines,  all  address  your- 
selves in  your  disputes:  who  is  to  be  judged  I,  for  my- 
self, most  certainly :  you  for  yourself:  a  third  for  hin- 
self :  and  every  individual  of  the  human  race  lor  the 
same  reason  ought  to  enjoy  the  same  liberty."  A 
French  historian  says,  Dudith  joined  this  party  for  the 
sake  of  a  liberty  of  saying  what  he  would  on  every  subject. 
He  did  so.  For  this  he  resigned  his  bishoprick,  for  this 
he  quitted  the  Lutheran  and  Calvinist  churche's,  and  for 
this  he  settled  in  that  of  the  Unitarians  in  Poland,  where  in 
the  enjoyment  of  this  precious  liberty  he  felt  a  happiness 
which  he  had  never  known  beiore  :  a  happiness  derived 
not  from  the  character  of  Imperial  Ambassador,  an  honour 
which  the  Emperor  Maximilian  continued  to  him,  but 
from  what  no  dignities  can  confer,  the  testimony  of  his 
own  integrity  by  his  own  conscience  in  a  state  of  perfect 
religious  freedom.  Hence  that  never  to  be  forgotten 
expression  of  his  to  Bcza :  "  While  you  boast  oi  your 
Lutheran  confession,  and  your  Helvetick  creed,  I  keep 
thinking  of  the  6th  commandment,  Thou  shalt  not  kill," 
64 


506  THE      TRUE      GROUND 

It  requires  very  little  discernment  to  observe  that  the 
principle  of  the  inquisition   may  be  admitted  into  the 
constitution  of  a  church,  where  the  practice  is  held  in  ab- 
horrence, and  that  the  practice  may  be  admitted,  where 
the  principle  is  disowned.      Hence  it  comes   to  pass 
that  in  some  churches  the  constitution  being  ancient  is 
inquisitorial,  but  the  modern  conduct  is  liberal*;  and  in 
others  the  constitution  is  liberal,  and  the  conduct  bar- 
barous.     The  Baptist  churches    were   constituted   on 
grounds  just  and  liberal,  and  at  an  infinite  distance  from 
the  forementioned  principle  of  the  inquisition.       The 
creeds  which  they  published,  therefore,  are  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  a  publick  faith,  which  it  would  be  accounted 
heresy  to  contradict :  but  the  scripture,  and  the  scripture 
interpreted  by  individuals,  was  the  true  and  real  foundation 
of  their  first  churches.     It  must  be  allowed,  however, 
that  they  have  not  all  acted  on  this  principle ;  most  are 
divided  into  two  principal  branches  on  the  speculative 
points   of  grace  and  free  will,   the  Particular  Baptists 
holding   Arminianism  as  an    heresy,    and  the  General 
Baptists  considering  Calvinism  in  the  same  light,  and 
neiilier  admitting  the  other  to  church  communion,  and 
both  considering  the  Socinian  Baptists  as  inadmissible 
to  their  churches.     All  allow  separate  societies  to  judge 
for  themselves,  many  allow  individuals  in  their  churches 
to  differ,  except  on   fundamental   articles:    and   some 
have  no  fundamental  articles,*  and  only  require  a  per- 
son to  profess  himself  a  believer  in  Christ ;  and  this 
seems  to  be  the  only  true  i^round  of  action. 

A  body  of  Christians  united  on  this  general  principle 
have  an  unobjectionable  example,  and  want  only  one 
qualification  to  secure  their  happiness,  that  is,  such  a  mild 
temper  as  was  in  Jesus,  who  it  must  be  allowed  held  com- 
munion with  men,  who  knew  very  little  more  than  that 
he  was  the  Messiah.  In  the  church  of  this  good  Shep- 
herd and  Bishop  oi  souls,  the  members  were  allowed  to 
question  one  with  another  what  the  rising  from  the  dead 
should  mean.  Even  after  his  resurrection  they  asked 
him  to  restore  again  the  kingdom  to  Israel.  Yet  what 
did  Jesus?  With  an  unruffled  temper  he  gave  them  the 
friendship  of  his  heart,  esteemed  what  was  lovely   in 

•  It  may  be  questioned  whether  there  is  not  a  little  too  much  kxity  in 
this  expression,  [jE''-, 


OF    ACTION    IN     RELieiON.  dUY 

them,  and  pitied  and  removed  the  rest  by  instruction 
and  example.  This  was  divine,  this  was  to  be  an  im- 
age of  the  invisible  God.  Christians,  who  form  church- 
es on  human  creeds,  find,  as  they  go  on,  a  great  many 
articles  necessary,  of  which  at  first  they  were  not  appriz- 
ed. At  the  outset  nothing  strikes  but  terms  of  admis- 
sion :  but  in  process  of  time  it  falls  out  not  unfrequcntly, 
that  one,  who  hath  been  admitted  on  the  ground  of  be- 
lieving the  creed  of  the  church,  is  convinced  as  he  thinks 
that  some  articles  are  erroneous,  and  he  savs  it  is  his 
duty  to  inform  his  fellow  members  of  his  reasons  for 
thinking  so.  What  is  to  be  done  with  this  man  ?  To 
persecute  him  would  be  a  shame,  for  his  life  is  irre- 
proachable. To  bear  with  him  is  to  violate  the  bond  of 
union.  Here  will  be  a  conflict  between  the  infallible 
law  of  nature,  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself, 
and  zeal  for  the  support  of  a  sense  of  scripture  given  by 
a  fallible  man.  It  is  in  such  distressing  seasons,  that 
Christians  beguile  themselves  to  persecute  :  the  solem- 
nity begins  with  arguing  and  praying,  proceeds  to  re- 
proving, dictating,  consulting,  and  excommunicating, 
and  ends  in  some  communities  in  silent  hatred,  in  others 
in  banishment,  and  in  others  again  in  chains,  and  flames, 
and  shrieks,  that  pierce  the  hearts  of  men  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  wherever  the  bloody  tale  is  told. 

It  is  not  imaginable  that  the  first  Reformers  sat  down 
at  their  desks,  and  drew  up  their  confessions  of  faith  with 
deliberate  design  to  murder  such  as  should  doubt  the 
truth  of  them.  The  cruelties  came  to  pass  at  the  end 
of  a  train  of  actions :  but  had  they  been  content  with  the 
simplicity  of  revelation,  these  murders  never  .could  have 
come  to  pass,  and  their  annals  would  have  come  down  to 
posterity  unstained  with  human  blood.  The  most  incor- 
rigible of  all  Baptist  hereticks,  Servetus  himself,  profess- 
ed to  believe  what  the  scriptures  affirm,  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God :  but  his  opponents  would  not  suffer  him 
to  explain  the  text  for  himself,  they  would  add  one  ex- 
planatory epithet,  and  that  one  word,  consubstantial^  be- 
gan a  fraca,  that  ended  in  burning  the  good  man  to  ash- 
es. They  said  he  was  not  a  Christian  because  he  would 
not  utter  that  word  with  approbation:  but  they  never 
doubted  of  their  own  Christianity  for  burning  him  at 
a  stake. 


508  the    true    ground 

Passion  is  not  a  Righteous  Ground  of  Action,' 

The  proper  end  of  moral  philosophy  is  the  regulation 
of  life.  Id  the  pursuit  of  this  end ,  philosophers  observe, 
the  passions  must  be  subservient  to  the  nobler  powers 
of  the  understanding  and  the  will ;  and  conscience, 
the  moral  sense,  must  adjudt^e  and  direct  the  whole. 
If  this  order  be  inverted,  the  most  innocent  as  efifectually 
as  the  most  guilty  passions  may  disconcert  the  actions 
of  life,  and  destroy  the  man.  What  an  infinite  dis- 
tance is  there  beiween  sensual  pleasures  which  are 
the  meanest  sort  of  hunian  enjoyments,  and  the  pleas- 
ures of  imagination,  which  have  for  their  objects  the 
imitative  arts !  yet  passion  for  the  latter,  if  uncontrolled 
by  reason  and  religion,  may  be  attended  with  the  most 
pernicious  consequences.  It  may  not  be  improper  to 
give  one  example. 

Of  the  dignity  and  worth  of  musick  nothing  need  be 
said  ;  the  whole  world,  compelled  by  nature,  patronize 
it.  The  love  of  it  is  innocent,  and  a  man  insensi- 
ble to  the  pleasure  of  musick,  if  such  a  man  there  be, 
seems  to  want  something  essential  to  his  species.  An 
ecclesiastical  historian  justly  exults  in  relating  the  noble 
use  to  which  religious  men  of  all  ages  have  applied 
it,  by  making  it  a  mode  of  adoring  God.  A  part 
of  the  holy  scripture  was  composed  to  be  uttered  in 
vocal,  and  a  part  to  be  set  to  instrumental  musick. 
The  JVlan  of  sorrov\s  sang  with  his  disciples  at  the  insti- 
tution of  the  last  supper.  'J'he  apostles  and  the  primi- 
ti\e  Christians  adored  God  in  psalms,  and  hymns,  atid 
spiritual  songs  :  and  while  thev  advised  the  afflicted  to 
pray,  exhor  ed  the  rest  to  sing.  Keiigion  affords  the 
lu  blest  subjects,  and  the  fii.est  models  of  song  ;  and 
in  the  first  ages  of  Christiunit)  all  divisions  of  Christians, 
Tvhatever  their  speculations  weie,  composed  for  publick 
worship,  and  m  their  religious  assemblies  adored  the 
common  Purent  oi  mankind  by  singing  his  praise. 
'Jin^e  produced  alterations,  and  the  several  degrees  of  the 
scale  ma)  be  seen  in  modern  assemblies.  The  silent 
Chri'stians,  called  Quakers,  exhibit  an  assembly  of 
primitive  Christians  under  persecution, .  Sctfe  oiily  while 
the  doors  weie  shut,  tor  fear  of  the  intolerant  Jews. 


OF    ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  509 

The  other  English  Dissenters  resemble  the  same  Chris- 
tians in  a  free  state  ;  where  all  sing  what  the  most  have 
examined  and  believe.  In  some  a  band  of  singers,  in  a 
singing  pew,  exhibit  the  first  step  toward  choral  seivice  ; 
in  others  a  pitch- j)ipe  shews  the  introduction,  or  an  or- 
gan the  advancement  of  instrumental  musick.  Among 
the  people  called  Methodists,  and  Moravians,  dialogue 
hymns,  accompanied  in  some  places  with  instruments, 
shew  the  rudiments  of  the  antiphonal  service  of  a  choir 
in  a  cathedral,  and  the  latter  hands  a  spectaior  forward 
to  the  orchestras  of  foreign  Catholick  churches.  Should 
a  Christian  of  the  primitive  cast  be  animated  with  a  pas- 
sion for  musick,  should  he  connect  the  gratification  of 
his  passion  with  divine  worship,  and  should  he  choose 
his  religion  merely  by  his  passion,  undoubtedly  he 
would  not  stop,  till  he  arrived  at  the  church  of  Rome. 

[We  here  omit  several  pages  on  siiioingf  and  clinrcli  musick, 
as  it  is  called,  which  show  that  tliis  simple  and  delightful  part  of 
divine  worship,  like  all  other?,  was  gieatly  corrupted  and  abused 
\u  the  hands  of  an  ungracious  clergy,  and  a  careless,  worldly 
people.  Ed.] 

There  is  one  hymn  of  the  primitive  church,  of  mere 
human  composition,  usually,  and  it  should  seem  justly, 
said  to  be  composed  by  Clement  of  Alexandria,  which 
as  of  singular  use  to  unravel  two  apparent  mysteries  : 
the  one  a  stumbling  block  to  some  Protestants,  the  oth- 
er to  all.  Protestants,  who  deny  infant  baptism,  arc 
offended  at  the  early,  and  general  practice  of  it,  although 
none  of  them  date  it  earlier  than  the  third  century  : 
but  it  is  very  credible,  that  the  baptism  of  natural 
infants  was  not  so  early,  nor  ever  so  general  as  hath 
been  imagined.  The  fathers  should  be  allowed  to  ex- 
pound themselves;  and  Clement's  hymn  makes  it  appear 
with  the  utmost  evidence,  that  by  infant,  and  little  in- 
fant, he  did  not  mean,  either  a  babe  or  a  minor,  but  a 
Christian  of  any  age.  His  whole  book  called  the  Peda- 
gogue is  additional  evidence,  and  he  expressly  says  : 
Paul  defines  an  infant,  in  the  epi.stle  to  the  Romans, 
\vhen  he  informs  them  :  /  ivomci  /la-De  you  wise  to  that 
iv/iich  is  good,  and  simple  conctniing  cud.  "We,"  adds 
Clement,  "are  a  choir  of  such  infants."  Agreeably  to 
this  notion,  at  the  close  of  his  book  of  Pedagogy,  sup- 


510  THE      TRUE      GROUND 

posing  himself  and  his  companions  united  in  a  choir  by 
Jesus,  the  pedagogue  of  all  his  disciples,  he  proposes  a 
gratulatory  hymn  of  praise  to  be  sung  by  all  the  choir, 
that  is,  all  the  church,  to  the  honour  of  their  common 
benefactor,  the  only  teacher,  and  the  perfect  pattern  of 
spiritual  infancy,  that  is,  of  innocence. 

ILlof^tov  TTaXav  u^auv,      .     -  Froenum  pullorum  indociliura, 

n7epov  o^vt^uv  ocTv^ocMuv^  -     -  Peiina  volucrnra   noii  errantium, 

0;«|  NHnitJN  «]ps«)55,       -  Verus  clavus  Infantium, 

Uoii^Yiv  APNi^N  Zx<^i),ncm'  -  Pastor  agnoruni  regaliutn  : 

Tovr,  <rou?  cipiXitg     -     -     '  To  US  simplices. 

nAEAAS  ccyiifoy,    -     -     -  Pueros   congrega, 

Aiv'tv  xyii>i   -----  Ad  saucte  laudaiidum, 

rumy  x^oX^i       -     -     -     -  Sincere   cariendum 

A^xHo^,  <rlo^x^>y        -     -     -  Ore  innoxio 

HAlAriN  -ay^lof*  jjp«5-ay     "  CUristum  puerorum  ducem. 

In  this  style  the  whole  hymn  proceeds,  representing 
Jesus  as  the  King  of  childrea,  Bocnxm  Treti^aiv  w no  nour- 
ishes his  family  of  little  infanu,  oy  auuiinistering  to 
their  tender   mouths   the    milk    of  heavealy    wisdom  : 

TxXx  ovfx^tcv  .  -  <f»<piXi  T«5  <r»)5  -  -  ««  NHniAXOI  -  ^  «]«Ao<5  5-«^««v  -  - 
-eiliTxXXofiivety    &C. 

The  primitive  fathers,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  Ter- 
tuUian,  Cyprian,  Lactantius,  Epiphanius,  Nazianzen, 
Basil,  Austin,  and  Chrysostora,  all  lovers  of  musick,  de- 
claimed in  the  most  bitter  style  against  the  secular  mu- 
sick of  the  theatres  as  an  invention  of  the  devil :  but 
some  of  them  did  not  foresee,  and  none  of  them  guarded 
against,  the  evils  which  the  introduction  ot  consonance 
in  mus'ick  produced  in  the  church.  It  was  not  one  of 
the  least,  that  it  effected  a  vacancy  of  religious  principle 
in  the  laity;  who,  having  nothing  to  do  ai  chuich  but 
enjoy  themselves,  went  to  divine  service  only  to  see 
others  perform.  The  handsome  comphmeni  ot  a  prim- 
itive monk  to  an  abbot  became  the  real  history  ot  the 
laity  at  church  after  this  period.  Three  monks  went  in 
company  once  a  year  to  visit  Abbot  Antony,  and  two  of 
the  three  asked  him  many  questions,  and  consulied  hun 
on  many  cases  of  conscience  and  practice  :  the  oiher 
was  silent.  After  many  such  visits,  the  Abbot  said  to 
the  third  monk:  "Brother,  you  have  visited  me  many 
years,  and  you  have  never  asked  me  one  question. »  The 
monk  politely  replied :  Father,  I  am  sdtisiied  with  the 
sight  of  you." 


OF     ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  511 

The  worst  evil,  that  church  musick  produced,  was  si. 
revohition  in  disfavour  of  Christian  liberty  :  a  revolution 
that  introduced  tyranny  and  slavery.      To  supply  the 
choir,  prelates,  monks  and  canons  formed  singing  schools 
of  children.     In  them  the  whip,  and  in  the  monasteries, 
the  rigid  discipline  of  the  infants,  by  a  constant  use  of 
the  rod,   made  every  boy  a  slave,  and  so  prepared  him 
to  play  the  tyrant,  when  he  became  a  man.     All  child- 
ren in  monasteries  under  fifteen  years  of  age  were  called 
infants,   and  were  subject  by  statutes  to  a  discipline  ex- 
cessively illiberal  and  severe ;  and  such  as  formed  the 
choir  were  exposed  to  a  much  more  cruel  treatment  by  the 
unruly  passions  of  the  precentor  and  his  assistants.     In 
the  singing  schools  the  same  rigour  was  observed,  and 
the  whip,   with  which  Pope  Gregory  i.  used  to  correct 
his  singing  boys,   was  shewn  long  after  his  death  as  a 
curiosity.     In  all  places  obedience  was  incalculated  as  a 
compendium  of  all  virtue.     In  monasteries  every  soul 
was  in  a  state  of  obedience.     Among  the  secular  clergy 
every  individual  was  in  a  state  of  obedience  to  his  dio- 
cesan.    In  all  kingdoms  in  the  West  every  prelate  was 
in  late  times  in  a  state  of  obedience  to  the  Pope  of  Rome ; 
as  those  of  the  East  were  to  their  patriarchs.     Hence  a 
dread  of  thinking  for  themselves  was  every  where  ap- 
plauded as  the  general  guardian  of  faith  and  virtue,  and 
an  exercise  of  private  judgment  was  represented  as  a 
complication  of  all  crimes.     Before  the  reformation  obe- 
"  dience  was  the  summary  of  all  religion  :  but,  at  that 
happy  period  when  the  good  sense  of  the  clergy   re- 
belled against  monachism  and  Popery,  it  was  with  an  ill 
grace  that  any  of  the  reformers  forged  new  fetters  for 
others,  and  by  associating  human  creeds  with  civil  gov- 
ernment forbade,  as  far  as  in  them  lay,  posterity  to  be 
free.     From  this  mismanagement  they  brought  on  them- 
selves, and  all  their  disciples,   both  those  of  necessity 
and  those  of  choice,  the  heavy  work  of  trying  to  support 
their  systems  by   evidence  :    a  method  not  necessary 
during  the  dead  silence  of  past  ages,  and  utterly  imprac- 
ticable ever  since.     While  the  clergy  sang  creeds  which 
nobody  examined,  (for  the  choir  looked  at  nothing  but 
the  musick)  the  system  of  doctrine  stood  without  being 
held  :  but  when  inquiry  came  forward,  persecution  was 


512  THE      TRUE     ^GROUND 

forced  to  aid,  and  when  persecution  paused,  the  mis- 
matched materials  crumbled  away. 

Exckisive  of  persecution,  and  imposition  of  creeds, 
many  and  weighty  are  the  objections  of  inquisitive 
Chrii,tians  against  such  compilations,  and  it  is  not  one  of 
the  least,  that  they  are  all  composed  of  loose  unconnected 
sentences.  The  gospel  of  the  four  evangelists  ought 
not  to  be  disconcerted  for  the  sake  of  picking  out  creeds. 
It  would  confuse  the  story  ;  and  to  take  one  line  here 
and  another  there,  as  the  sense  of  the  whole,  is  to  render 
the  meaning  doubtful,  and  in  some  cases  even  contra- 
dictory to  itself.  By  this  method  the  Trinitarian  and  the 
Socinian,  the  Arminian,  and  the  Calvinist,  the  patriarch 
of  Constantinople,  the  pontiff  of  Rome,  and  the  Scotch  Se- 
ceder,  may  each  produce  his  own  system  :  and  with  equal 
ease  the  history  of  the  American  war  may  be  extracted 
from  Homer's  Iliad.  This  method  is  extremely  facili- 
tated by  spiritualizing  writings.  Who  is  so  blind  as 
not  to  see  the  silver  headed  Doctor  Franklin  in  the 
Greek  bard's  priest  of  Apollo,  liberty  in  his  daughter, 
the  adantick,  in  the  sea  that  lashed  the  beach,  and  mur- 
mured and  echoed  to  his  prayers ;  the  parliament  of 
Britain  i'.i  the  councils  of  the  Greeks,  and  the  issue  of 
the  contest  in  the  purpose  of  Jove  A;o5  ^'inMnlo  BovAjj.  ?  If 
any  thing  more  be  needful  to  elucidate  a  iavouriie  point, 
nothing  is  easier  than  to  add  to  the  gospel  some  other 
books,  as  a  histor}  of  the  creation,  and  the  lives  of  the 
patriarchs,  an  ancient  Jew  ish  ritual  of  Levitical  ceremo- 
nies, an  history  of  the  kings,  and  the  wars  t-f  the  Jews  : 
to  all  which,  in  case  of  necessity,  the  Apocrypha  may  be 
added  ;  and  the  fathers  to  that.  He  who  can  do  all  this  is 
a  poor  divine  indeed,  if  he  cannot  content  himself,  and 
compile  a  complete  body  of  divhiity  of  any  kind,  a  rule 
of  faith  and  practice.  Here  is  no  persecution,  no  cruelty 
to  be  complained  of  :  but  here  is  a  manliest  departure 
from  the  great  principle  of  the  Christian  religion,  the 
perfection  of  the  New  Testament,  and  from  all  approved 
canons  of  interpretation. 

That  humourous  writer  Dean  Swift,  in  a  pointed  sat- 
ire, ridicules  the  custom  of  forming  doctrines  out  of 
detached  sentences  (s).  The  book  is  not  at  hand,  but 
the  substance  is  this.     A  father  makes  a  will,  and  leaves 

(5)  Tale  of  a  Tub. 


OF    ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  513 

an  estate  to  his  three  sons  on  condition  they  never  dress- 
ed Uke  people  of  fashion.  Unhappily  shoulder  knots 
came  into  fashion  after  the  decease  of  the  testator,  and 
one  of  the  sons  ingeniously  invented  a  method  of  ex- 
plaining the  will  so  as  to  dress  in  the  fashion,  and  yet 
continue  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  estate.  He  could  not 
find  an  exception  in  the  will  iu  favour  of  shoulder  knots, 
he  could  not  even  find  the  word  there ;  however,  he  ob- 
served by  dint  of  study  in  one  word  an  S,  in  another  an 
H,  in  a  third  an  O,  and  all  the  rest  except  a  k,  in  some 
word  or  other.  He  put  these  together,  and  proved  to 
a  demonstration  that  the  K  did  not  affect  the  soinid,  that 
shoulder  knots  were  in  the  will,  and  consequently  that 
the  testator  intended  an  exception  in  favour  of  this  very 
innocent  and  popular  fashion. 

This  sort  of  ingenuity  is  of  all  parties,  and  it  hatli 
abounded  in  the  Cathohck  church.  There  was  an  hon- 
est carpenter  in  Tuscany,  who  had  a  son,  a  little  boy. 
This  child,  before  he  knew  his  letters,  was  one  day  play- 
ing with  the  chips,  which  flew  off  from  a  piece  of  timber, 
that  his  father  was  hewing.  Behold,  at  length,  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  parent,  the  gamesome  little  rogue 
by  chance  had  placed  ttie  chips  in  the  form  of  letters. 
On  being  joined  together  they  made  this  seiitence  of  the 
psalmist :  He  shall  reign  from  sea  to  sea.  The  man 
was  struck,  the  language  was  sacred,  none  but  God 
eould  effect  such  a  miracle,  it  was  in  the  future  tense,  it 
was  a  prophecy,  it  was  a  prupliecy  that  came  to  pa^s 
too,  for  the  little  prophet  in  due  time  became  His  Holi- 
ness, Pope  Gregory  the  seventh,  pontifi' of  Rome  (6). 

Free  Assent  to  the  connected  Sense  of  Scrip- 
ture IS  THE  ONLY  SAFE   RuLE    OF  ACTIUN. 

Apart  from  all  such  visions,  Catholick  and  Protestant, 
it  is  clear,  that  the  connected  sense  of  Scripture  is  the 
only  true  sense,  and  thac  fair  argument  is  the  only  rea- 

(6)  Caes.  Baronii  Annales.  Tom.  xi.  An.  1073.     Habet  Vaticana  biblio- 

theca  res  ^estas  Gregorii  Pap?e  septimi  scriptas Cum  piier  liideret  ad 

pedos  patris  lip^na  dolantis,  ex  rejectaneis  sei^rnentis,  cum  nesciret  literas, 
casu  clementa  ilia  formarit,  ex  qiiibus  simul  conjunctis  illud  Davididicum 
exprimeretur  oraculum  :  Dominab'Uur  a  mari  usque  ad  mare,  quo  signifi- 
caretup  manura  pueri  ductante  numine,  ejus  fore  ampUiisimam  in  roundo 
auctoritatem. 

65 


514  THE      TRUE      GROUND 

sonable  ground  of  upright  action  in  religion.  An 
example  of  this  in  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  baptism 
will  elucidate  this  subject,  with  a  view  also  to  the  other 
grounds  of  acting,  power  and  passion. 

In  the  Catholick  church,  and  in  the  Greek  church, 
infant  baptism  is  established  by  law,  and  there  is  an  end 
of  the  business  (7). 

In  some  churches,  where  argument  is  necessary,  it 
stands  on  the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  which  is  an  argu- 
ment addressed  to  the  passions  of  hope  and  fear  :  inno- 
cent emotions  in  themselves,  but  attracted  by  this 
doctrine  into  a  wrong  direction.  A  mother,  who  under- 
stands primitive  baptism  to  have  been  nothing  but  a 
badge  of  a  profession  of  life,  sees  no  more  reason  to 
lament  the  dying  of  her  son  unbaptized,  than  she  does, 
having  intended  him  for  the  army,  to  afflict  herself  be- 
cause he  did  not  die  in  regimentals.  The  annexing  of 
funeral  rites  to  baptism  is  a  cruel  violation  of  respect 
for  the  ashes  of  the  dead,  and  a  barbarous  argument 
to  the  passions  of  the  living.  The  affixing  of  civil  and 
literary  honours  and  advantages,  not  to  talents  and  virtue, 
but  to  baptized  talents  and  virtue,  is  still  an  address  to 
the  passions  ;  and  if  talents  and  virtue  be  dispensed 
with  ft)r  the  sake  of  baptism,  it  is  more  than  an  address 
to  innocent  passions  ;  it  is  the  creation  of  base  ones. 

In  churches  unconnected  with  civil  power,  and  where 
infant  baptism  rests  on  argument  alone,  there  are  three 
of  six  classes  of  arguments  which  the  Baptists  reject  : 
and  three  more,  which  they  receive  only  when  they  are 
properly  explained. 

Arguments  taken  from  philosophy  make  no  impres- 
sion upon  them,  for  they  say,  baptism  is  not  a  part  of 
natural  religion,  but  a  positive  institute  of  revelation  : 
yet  they  say  philosophy  approves  tlieir  practice. 

To  cUI-arguments  taken  from  the  Old  Testainent,  they 
reply,  the  economy  was  not  given  to  them,  but  to  the 
Jews  ;  and  it  is,  as  it  ought  to  be,  abolished  to  Jews,  and 

(7)  MabilloTi.  Analecf.  Tom.  iv.  Antiq.  Collect.  Voter,  inscription,  Romano- 
rum.  xlix.  In  ecclesia  S.  Fuuli. 

In  ahsitla  ad  Fontem. 

Hxc  doTTius  est  fidei,  mentes  ubi  summa  potestas 
Liberal,  et  sancto  purgatas  foute  tuetiir. 


OF    ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  515 

references  to  it  in  the  New  Testament  do  not  re-estab- 
lish it. 

To  all  arguments  taken  from  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament,  subsequent  to  the  four  gospels,  some  say, 
they  are  admissible  only  as  explanatory  of  the  doctrine 
and  example  of  Jesus  ;  and  all  say,  the  passages 
that  speak  of  baptism  at  all,  explain  it  wholly  and  de- 
cisively in  their  favour.  The  subjects  of  baptism  are 
explained  in  the  words  of  Luke  ;  "they  were  baptized 
both  men  and  women  .*"  and  the  mode  in  the  words  of 
Paul  ;  "  By  baptism  we  are  buried  with  Christ  into 
death." 

Arguments  taken  from  the  proselyte  baptism  of  the 
Jews,  and  the  initiatory  ablutions  of  the  Pagans,  they 
wholly  disallow  ;  because,  in  regard  to  the  first,  the  fact 
is  not  proved,  and  in  regard  to  both,  not  the  traditions 
of  the  synagogue,  or  the  superstitions  of  Pagan  temples, 
but  the  gospel  alone  is  their  rule  of  action. 

Of  arguments  from  antiquity  and  universality  they  af- 
firm, that  if  they  were  affected  at  all  by  these  in  the 
present  case,  they  should  be  affected  too  much,  as  the 
greatest  corruptions  are  upheld  by  the  same  arguments  ; 
and  they  add,  infant  sprinkling  is  not  ancient,  and  it 
never  was  universal  ;  the  baptism  of  natural  infants  is  of 
comparative  late  date  ;  that  of  minors  of  the  third  or 
fourth  century,  and  neither  universal  ;  and  the  primitive 
ages,  they  affirm,  baptized  only  believers,  and  them 
only  by  dipping  at  their  own  request  ;  but  no  argu- 
ments of  this  class  affect  them,  because  they  arc  afraid 
of  being  imposed  on  by  interpolated  or  spurious  writ- 
ings, and  because  the  gospel  is  the  sole  groutid  of  their 
faith  and  practice. 

No  arguments  taken  from  civil  or  ecclesiastical  polity 
affect  them  on  this  subject.  They  affirm,  that  it  is  im- 
possible dipping  a  man  should  disturb  government  any 
more  than  sprinkling  a  child  does  ;  they  say,  religion 
may  support  men  under  bad  governments,  but  it  is  fitted 
only  to  good  governments,  for  the  same  reason  that  the 
gospel  may  preserve  a  wretch  from  despair,  while  it  sits 
easy  only  on  virtuous  minds  :  and  they  add  that  as 
theie  are  in  general  only  two  grounds  of  action  in  relig- 
ion, force  and  choice,  and  as  force  is  practised  on  an  in- 
fent  in  its  baptism,  every  government  that  exercises  such 


516  THE      TRUE      CROUND 

imposition  by  the  magistrate  or  by  the  minister  is  an  im- 
perftct  government,  and  passive  obedience  in  religion 
was  never  yet  a  virtue  with  the  Baptists,  and  probably 
never  will  be  ;  for  baptism  deferred  till  individuals  em- 
brace or  neglect  it,  implies  a  freedom  of  choice  incom- 
patible with  all  dictates  of  power. 

It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  mention  another  class  of 
arguments,  which  are  a  disgrace  to  such  as  quote  them, 
and  prove  nothing  except  that  the  cause  is  in  exceed- 
ing distress  for  want  of  proof. 

Gerard  John  Vossius,  who  was  a  very  learned  man, 
and  a  distinguished  patron  of  infant  sprinkling,  gives 
two  curious  reasons  for  the  validity  of  aspersion.     First. 

Sprinkling  preserxes  the  ova-ix,  that  is,  the  essence  of— 

wht?  the  sacrament.  It  would  have  raised  the  laugh 
too  loud  to  have  said,  sprinkling  preserves  the  essence  of 
dippi?ig  :  he  therefore  prudently  affirmed  it  preserves 
the  essence  of  the  sacrament,  which  was  not  the  thing 
in  dispute.  The  same  Vossius  was  pleased  to  suppose, 
that  the  apostles  baptized  by  pouring  on  water  :  but 
the  question  is  of  sprinkling  or  scattering  in  drops, 
which  is  very  different  from  pouring.  How  did  he 
know  the  apostles  baptized  by  pouring?  Had  he  re- 
ceived any  new  book  of  the  acts  of  the  apostles  written 
by  eye  witnesses  ?  No  :  but  Thomas  of  Aquino,  an 
Italian  friar,  who  lived  about  four  hundred  years  before 
Vossius,  had  supposed  that  the  apostles  sometimes  baptiz- 
ed by  pourings  in  order  to  account  for  the  nunibers  bap- 
tized in  one  day.  Vossius  might  have  recollected, 
that  although  the  friar  lived  four  hundred  years  before 
him,  yet  the  same  friar  was  not  born  till  near  twelve 
hundred  years  after  the  apostles.* 

*  "  If  pity  for  the  wretched  be  a  generous  passion,  who  can  help  in- 
dulging- it  when  he  sees  an  illiterate  Baptist  hang  his  head  daunted  and 
disiTiayed  by  the  unfair  criticism  of  a  learned  teacher,  who  tells  him  the 
word  baptize  is  Greek,  and  signifies  pouring  as  well  as  dipping  ?  Great 
men  love  sometimes  to  trifle.  The  inference  which  these  translators  draw 
from  their  own  version  is  not  exactly  logical ;  for  I  prove,  says  Vossius, 
going  to  dip  an  infant,  that  the  word  baptize  signifies  to  pour  as  well  as  to 
dip.  In  virtue  of  this  what  does  he  ?  He  takes  the  infant,  and  neither 
pours  nor  dips,  but  sprinkles,  and  then  lifts  up  his  voice  and  says  to  a 
congregation  of  English  peasants,  the  Greek  will  bear  me  out.  Verily, 
this  is  not  fair  ! 

•'Suppose  an  honest  Baptist  peasant  should  stand  up  and  say  to  such  a 
man.  'Sir,  I  have  understood  that  Jesus  lived  and  died  in  the  East ; 
that  four  of  his  disciples  wrote  his  history  in  the  Greek  language—— that 


OF    ACTION    IN    RELIGION.  517 

In  the  same  manner  Dr.  Wall,  who  was  a  man  of 
great  reading,  after  he  had  in  vain  quoted  every  pas- 
sage in  the  fathers  that  looked  any  thing  like  favour- 
able to  his  point,  called  in  ihe  aid  of  tradition,  and  two 
arguments  are  curious.  He  endeavours  to  make  his 
reader  believe  that  John  Baptist  baptized  infants  in 
Palestine  in  or  about  the  year  of  Christ  thirty  :  and  for 
proof  he  affirms,  that  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan  in  Italy> 
about  four  hundred  years  after,  thought  so.  If  it  be  ob- 
jected :  Ambrose  speaks  of  reforming  infants  from 
wickedness  bv  baptism,  of  course,  his  infants  must  have 
been  reformed  youth:  the  Doctor's  answer  is  ready: 
A.nbrose  meant  not  the  reformation  of  a  wicked  life, 
but  the  reformation  of  a  wicked  nature  derived  from 
Adam  :  consequently  John  Baptist  believed  the  African 
d(jctrine  of  original  sin.  The  same  Dr.  Wall  quotes 
an  inscription  composed  by  Paulinus  to  be  put  over  a 
baptismal  font,  to  prove  that  in  his  time  infants  were 

his  apostles  preached  in  Greek  to  the  inhabitants  of  Greece,  and  that 
the  Greeks  heard,  believed,  and  were  baptized every  nation  under- 
stands its  own  lantrnag-e  best,  and  no  doubt  the  Greeks  understand  Greek 

better  than  we  do now  1  have    been  informed set  me  right  if  I  be 

■wron^j: that   from    the   first   preaching  of  the   apostles  to  this  day,  the 

Greeks  have  always  understood,  that  to  baptize  was  to  dip;  and  so  far  are 
they  from  tliii  kii;g  tiiat  to  baptize  is  to  pour  or  sprinkle,  I  have  been  told 
they  baptize  by  dipping  three  timt-s.  I  do  not  understMud  Greek,  but  I 
think  the  Greeks  themselves  do.  If  therefore  I  were  to  dip  for  other  reasons: 
and  if  I  were  obliged  to  determine  my  practice  by  the  sense  of  the  single 
word  baptit^ni  :  and  if  I  were  driven  to  the  necessity  of  trusting  somebody, 
my  reason  would  command  me  to  take  the  sense  from  the  natives  of  Greece, 
rather   than  from  you,  foreigner.'      That  this  honest  man  would  supposa 

a  true   fact   is  beyond   all   contradiction. In    determining  the  precise 

meaning  of  a  Greek  word  used  to  signify  a  Gieek  ceremony,  what  possi- 
ble chance  hath  a  session  of  lexicographers  against  whole  empires  of  na- 
tive Greeks  ^  Let  the  illiterate  then  enjoy  themselves,  and  i-'ecoliect  when 
they  baptize  by  dipping,  they  understand  Greek  exactly  as  the  Greeks 
themselves  understand  it."  \_Robinson's  Kesearches,  p.  91,  92. 

[A  few  years  since  I  had  an  interview  with  the  Capt.  of  a  Greek  ship 
from  one  of  the  Islands  of  the  Archipelago,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
Greek  church  He  was  wholly  unncquainted  with  English,  and  his  Greek 
pronunciation  was  somewhat  difhcult  to  understand.  An  Italian,  well 
versed  in  both  languages,  was  our  Interpreter.  V\  hen  informed  I  believ- 
ed in  dipping,  an  approving  smile  kindled  in  his  countenance,  and  he  with 
groat  rapidity  and  emphasis,  pronounced  'Eya  BetTrri^u,  Eyai  BxTrrt^cj^ 
at  the  same  time  bending  his  head  forward,  and  putting  liis  hands  over  it, 
so  as  to  meet  behind,  to  show  that  to  baptize,  was  to  plunge  all  over  head 
and  ears  This  he  did  three  times  to  represent  their  trine  immersion. 
When  somethirg  v  as  said  about  sprinkling,  he  stretched  forth  his  hand 
with  ■•'  frov.i  ig  aspect,  and  an  indignant  poh  !  as  if  it  had  nolliing  to  do 
with  BxvTu^a.  £d.} 


518        TRUE    GROUND    OF    ACTION    IN    RELIGION. 

baptized :  then  he  adds  a  second  section  to  prove  that 
in  the  age  in  which  Pauhuus  Hved,  which  was  the  same 
as  that  ('f  Ambrose,  all  persons  newly  baptized,  young 
or  old,  were  called  infants:  and  what  is  more  extraor- 
dinary, in  the  following  section  he  presents  the  reader 
with  an  epitaph,  composed  by  the  same  Paulinus  for 
Celsus,  an  infant  who  had  died  soon  after  his  baptism  in 
the  8th  year  of  his  age.  Turpins  est  oratori  nocuisse 
videri  causae,  quam  non  profnisse. 

Monsieur  Daille,  who  had  an  extreme  aversion  to  the 
baptizing  of  infants,  as  if  they  were  believers,  by  forms 
proper  oiily  to  adults,  observes  the  fraud  of  Austin  to 
get  rid  of  a  question  which  had  been  put  to  him  by- 
Boniface,  an  African  bishop,  and  which  he,  Austin, 
could  not  answer.  "  An  infant  is  offered  to  a  minister 
to  be  baptized.  The  minister,  as  if  he  thought  it  wrong 
to  baptize  even  an  infant  without  faith,  inquires  of  the 
infant  himself  whether  he  believes  in  God  and  Christ, 
and  so  on  :  tacitly  implying,  that  if  he  did  not  believe 
these  articles,  he  should  not  think  it  right  to  baptize  him. 
The  sponsor  answers  for  the  child  that  he  dcjes  believe. 
Boniface  could  not  comprehend  how  the  child  could 
possibly  believe,  or,  if  it  were  possible,  how  the  godfath- 
er could  know  it.  He  objects  this  to  Austin  :  and 
•  Austin  replies:  the  meaning  is,  the  child  hath  the  sign 
or  sacrament  of  faith.  It  is  in  vain  to  object,  the  sign 
of  faith,  in  your  sense,  is  the  sacrament  of  bttptism  :  but 
the  child  hath  not  been  baptized,  and  he  requires  to  be 
baptized ;  and  you  expound  his  request  as  if  he  had  been 
baptized,  and  as  if  he  assigned  that  as  a  reason  for  being 
baptized  again  :  and  this  by  way  of  proving  that  faith  is 
necessary  to  baptism.  An  admirable  solution!"  JVlr. 
Daille  observes,  further,  that  although  ihe  improptiety 
of  addressing  interrogations  about  faith  to  ir.fants  as  a 
ground  of  baptizing  them  had  been  fully  and  irequently 
urged,  yet  the  Catholicks  obstinately  continued  the 
practice.  He  remarks,  that  Mary  of  Medicis,  queen  re- 
gent of  France,  had,  in  the  year  fifteen  hundred  and  six- 
ty-one, addressed  Pope  Pius  IV.  to  exonerate  baptism 
of  several  ceremonies,  particularly  exorcism,  which  was 
needless,  and  spittle,  which  might  be  dani'erous  :  but 
that  the  court  of  Rome  had  not  only  coiiteiiined  the  ad- 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CilLTRCHES.  O  l\^ 

vice,  but  took  pains  to  obliterate  a  memorial  that  it  had 
been  given.  Thuanus,  the  celebrated  historian,  insert- 
ed her  majesty's  letter  in  his  history,  and  for  that  reason 
the  master  of  the  Pope's  palace  took  great  pains  to  get 
the  whole  history  proscribed  ;  and  sometime  after,  by 
Bernard  Sandoval,  archbishop  of  Toledo,  and  general 
inquisitor,  the  offensive  letter  concerning  the  reformation 
of  baptism  was  put  in  the  expurgatory  index  of  the 
church,  and  ordered  to  be  erased.  Say  Monsieur 
Daille  what  he  pleases,  the  wisest  measure  that  ever  was 
taken  by  the  patrons  of  infant  baptism  was  to  establish 
it  by  law ;  and  it  may  truly  be  affirmed,  that  it  was  not 
the  books  of  Austin,  but  it  was  the  chapter-statutes  of 
Charlemagne,  written  with  the  sword  in  the  mansjled 
carcases  of  men  reduced  to  slavery  and  beggary,  that 
did  the  business ;  as  it  is  neither  power,  nor  the  innocent 
or  guilty  love  of  pleasure,  nor  plausible  modest  acquies- 
cence in  established  customs,  that  should  guide  a  man 
in  the  choice  of  his  religion,  so,  assuredly,  it  is  not  a 
reverence  for  sophistry. 


CHAP.  XL. 

A  Review  of  the  Apostolical  CnuacHEs. 

JOHN  the  Bapnst  was  the  protomartyr  of  the  ne\r 
econocny.  Him  Herod  put  to  death.  The  priests  of 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem  followed  the  example,  and 
procured  the  crucitixiou  of  Jesus  much  against  the  will 
of  the  governor.  One  of  the  city  synagogues  imitated 
their  superiors,  and  pursued  S;ephen  to  death  for  blas- 
phemy. Then  persecution  became  general,  and  all  the 
disciples  of  Jesus,  except  the  apostles,  left  the  city. 
By  their  means  the  good  dews  of  Jesus  the  deliverer  was 
published,  and  churches  were  forihcd  at  several  places, 
first  in  Palestine,  then  in  other  parts  oi"  Asia,  next  in 
the  Asiatick  Islands,  and  lastly  in  Europe.  Out  of 
Jerusalem  the  disciples  proceeded  every  way,  like  the 
radii  of  a  circle  from  the  centre  ;  and  as  it  is  impossible 
to  fix  the  time  of  congregating  each  church,  or,  if  it 


520  REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL     CHURCHES. 

Gould  be,  wholly  unnecessary,   so   an  alphabetical  list 
may  sufficiently  serve  the  present  purpose. 

[This  Chapter  contains  a  brief,  historical  account  of  all  the 
ehiirohes  fou.ided  by  tlie  apostles,  which  Mr.  Robinson  supposes 
were  ui  the  following  places,  viz  :  Achaia,  Alexandria,  Antioch, 
A'ltioch  in  Pisidia,  Arabia,  Athens,  Babylon,  Bert-a,  B\thinia, 
Ce-iarea,  Cappa  iocia,  Cenclirea,  Cilicia,  Colosse,  Corinth, 
Crete,  Cyprus,  Cyrene,  Ualiuatia,  Damascus,  Derbe,  Ephesus, 
Galatia,  Galilee,  Hierapolis,  Iconium,  lllyricuni,  Joppa,  Jerusa- 
lem, Judea,  Laodicea,  Lvcaoma,  Lydda,  Lystra,  Macedonia, 
Melita,  Myra,  Nt^apolis,  Nicopolis,  Paraph)  lia,  Paphos,  Patara, 
Patmos,  Perga,  Pergamus,  Phenice,  Philadelphia,  Pinlippi, 
Pisidia,  Pontus,  Ptolemais,  Puteoli,  Rhodes,  Rome,  Salamis, 
Samaria,  Sardis,  Saron,  Sidon,  Smyrna,  Syria,  Tasus,  Thessa- 
lonica,  Thyatira,  Troas,  Tyre.  It  is  probable  that  in  some  of 
these  places,  not  only  one,  but  a  number  of  churches  had  been 
formed  by  the  ministry  of  the  apostles.  1  he  account  of  these 
churches  has  a  bearing  on  the  history  of  baptism  principally  in 
this  respect,  that  in  all  the  transactions  recorded,  infants  ai'e  no 
where  brought  to  view  ;  and  all  the  relations  seem  to  suggest  that 
they  were  not  once  thought  of  as  candidates  for  baptism  or 
church  membership.  The  Editor  at  first  intended  to  have  omit- 
ted this  chapter  altogether,  but  has  concluded  to  select  and  insert 
the  following  narrations,] 

Antioch.  There  are  two  Antiochs  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament.  The  first  is  the  ancient  capital 
of  Syria,  a  city  of  true  eastern  magnificence,  the  res- 
idence of  the  Macedoiuan  kings  of  Syria  for  many  hun- 
dred years,  and  aferwards  of  the  Roman  governors 
of  that  province,  so  that  it  was  called  the  Queen  of  the 
East ;  and  when  bishops  became  princes,  the  church  ob- 
tained the  names  of  the  great  patriarchate  of  the  East, 
and  the  eye  of  the  eastern  church. 

The  Jews  who  fled  from  the  persecution  of  Stephen 
first  preached  to  their  resident  countrymen,  and  to  pros- 
elytes, the  Lord  Jesus,  arid  the  hand  of  the  Lord  ivas 
with  them :  a?id  a  great  number  belieuedj  and  turned  unto 
the  Lord(l). 

This  ciiy  is  remarkable  in  ecclesiastical  history  for 
three  things.  Here  the  disciples  of  Jesus  were  first  call- 
ed Christians.  Here  the  gospel  was  preached  to  Gre- 
cians, who  were  incorporated  in  the  church.  Here  also 
Barnabas  and  Saul  were  sent  out  by  the  church  under 
the  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  travel,  through  Pagan 

(1)     Actsxi.  19,  20,  21. 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHU-kCHES,  521 

cities,  to  give  light  to  the  Gentiles,  and  to  publish  Jesus 
for  salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth  (2). 

It  is  a  character  to  the  gospel  that  it  was  first  taught 
in  the  most  populous,  enlightened,  and  learned  cities, 
never  shunning  the  publick  eye,  but  challenging  full  ex- 
amination, and  that  in  those  cities  it  obtained  numerous 
converts  by  conviction  without  the  aid  of  force  or  fraud. 

Antioch  in  Pisidia.  Pisidia  was  a  province  of 
Asia.  Antioch  was  a  city  of  the  province.  Here  was 
a  synagogue  of  the  Jews.  Hither  Paul  and  his  compan- 
ions came,  and  on  the  Sabbath-day,  they  went  to  the 
synagogue.  After  the  reading  of  the  lessons,  the  rulers 
invited  the  strangers  to  speak.  Paul  accepted  the  in- 
vitation, and  in  a  brief  narrative  reported  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  ancient  prophecies  in  the  person  of  Jesus, 
and  exhorted  them  to  embrace  the  benefits  of  his  mis- 
sion, lest  they  should  incur  such  punishments  as  the  same 
prophecies  had  denounced  against  the  despisers  of  it. 
There  were  two  sorts  of  worshippers  in  the  synagogue, 
the  one  native  Jews,  the  other  proselytes.  The  first 
withdrew  displeased  ;  the  last  approved  of  what  they 
had  heard,  and  invited  the  aposUe  to  repeat  it  next  Sab- 
bath-day. During  the  week  the  affair  no  doubt  was  the 
subject  of  much  conversation  in  the  city,  and  the  next 
Sabbath-day  almost  the  whole  city  came  together  to  the 
synagogue  to  hear.  The  Jews  were  extremely  offend- 
ed at  this  apparent  invasion  of  their  privileges,  by  idola^ 
irons  Gentiles,  and  they  contradicted  and  opposed  what 
was  spoken  by  Paul.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  seeing  the  ob- 
stinate fury  of  the  Jews,  addressed  their  discourse  to 
the  idolatrous  citizens,  who  with  great  joy  embraced 
the  good  news  of  a  Saviour  ;  and  out  of  them  was  form- 
ed the  first  church  of  idolatrous  Gentiles.  As  many  of 
them  as  believed  were  assorted  and  arranged,  perhaps 
in  one  Christian  society,  perhaps  in  several ;  the  word 
cf  the  Lord  was  published  through  all  the  region,  and 
the  new  disciples  were  filled  with  joy,  and  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Jews  imitated  their  brethren  in  Ju- 
dea,  and  having  found  means  to  engage  some  honoura- 
ble female  devotees,  and  the  chief  men  of  the  city  on 
their  side,  they  raised  a  persecution,  and  expelled  Paul 
66 

(2)  Acte26— 30,kc.»ii. 


522         REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES. 

and  Barnabas  out  of  their  coasts.     Both  Jews  and  devout 
Greeks,  their  proselytes,  joined  in  this  persecution. 

Babylon.  There  is  in  scripture  a  figurative  Baby- 
lon, which,  however,  is  so  described  as  the  city  that 
reigned  in  the  time  of  the  writer,  over  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  that  it  cannot  be  mistaken.  This  was  Rome.  It 
doth  not  appear  that  Peter,  who  alone  mentions  the 
church  at  Babylon,  ever  was  at  Rome.  The  whole 
evidence  of  his  being  at  Rome  rests  on  the  testimony  of 
Papias,  whose  tales  even  Eusebius  had  hardly  credulity 
enough  to  transcribe  (3).  There  was  also  a  Babylon 
in  Egypt,  the  ruins  of  which  are  yet  seen  near  Grand 
Cairo  (4).  The  Babylon  where  Peter  wrote  his  epistle, 
was,  it  should  seem,  the  ancient  city  of  this  name,  so 
often  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  not  quite 
desolated  in  the  time  of  Peter.  This  is  the  opinion  of 
Dr.  Benson,  and  of  most  good  commentators  (5). 

There  is  great  reason  to  conjecture,  either  that  the 
copyists  of  the  eleventh  of  Genesis  have  mistaken  one 
letter  of  the  original,  or  that  the  vague  meaning  of  one 
word  hath  escaped  the  notice  of  many  readers  :  and  so 
that  the  city  of  Babylon  is  confounded  with  the  tower 
of  Babel.  It  is  generally  understood  that  Babel  signifi- 
ed confusion,  and  that  Moses  assigned  this  name  to  the 
tower,  because  there  God  confounded  the  language  o€ 
^e  builders.     These  are  the  words  : 

.the  earth  -  of  all  -  the  lip  -  The  Lord  -  did  confound  <» 
,  terrae  omnis     labium       Dominus  confudit 

Y^nn  ba         new  mn*  "jba 

there   -  because  Babel  -  the  name  of  it  -  called 
ibi  quia      Babel  ejusnomen         vocavit 

ow     -        *a         baa  now  «ip 

Either  Balbel  is  put  for  Babel,  or  Babel  is  put  for 
Balbel :  and  the  latter  is  most  likely.  By  altering  in 
the  word  Babel  the  second  Beth  into  a  Lamed,  the 
passage  would  read  thus  :    the  name  of  it  was  called 

(3)  Rev.  xvii.  5,  18. 

(4)  R.  Pocoke's  Description  of  the  Hast.  Vol.  i.  Chap.  iv.  Grand  Cairo, 
Old  Cairo.    Babylon 

(5)  Dr.  Benson's  Notes  on  the  Seven  Catholick  Epistles,  London.  1756. 
1  Pet.  Section  iii. 

Dr.  Gill.  1  Pet.  V,  13.— —Le  Clerk— -Erasmus— Mede<—-Vorstius> 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURGHES.  523 

Ballel,  because  there  the  Lord  did  ballel,  that  is,  con» 
found  the  lip  of  all  the  earth  :  or  thus,  the  name  of  it 
was  called  confusion,  because  there  did  the  Lord  con- 
found the  lip  of  all  the  earth. 

There  are  several  reasons  to  believe  that  Babylon  was 
a  place  different  from  the  tower.  Moses  had  said  that 
Nimrod  built  Babel  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  and  made 
it  the  head  or  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom,  probably 
the  capital  of  his  new  empire  :  he  says,  the  people  jour- 
nied  eastward,  and  after  the  confusion  of  tongues,  left  off 
to  build  the  city,  and  were  scattered  abroad  upon  the 
face  of  all  the  earth  :  but  it  doth  not  appear  that  Nimrod 
left  off  to  build  Babylon,  or  that  his  associates  were 
scattered  abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  made  it  the  seat  of  empire,  and  founded  a 
monarchy  of  amazing  extent  and  duration.  Moses 
says,  the  tower  was  called  confusion  :  but  if  Babel 
signified  confusion,  it  is  not  likely  that  the  inhabitants 
would  have  boasted  of  the  name,  or  that  the  prophets 
would  have  styled  it  the  Golden  City^  the  Lady  of  King- 
doms^ the  Praise  of  the  whole  Earthy  the  Glory  oj  King- 
doms^ the  Beauty  of  the  Chaldees''  Excellency.  Per- 
haps the  last  of  these  titles  may  lead  to  the  true  name  of 
Babylon,  and  the  name  of  the  city  to  the  true  name 
and  history  of  the  tower. 

To  this  devoted  spot,  the  throne  of  ancient  despotism, 
not  now  the  lady  of  kingdoms,  but  a  deserted  fen,  nearly 
depopulated,  lying  in  ruins,  and  hasting  into  eternal  ob- 
livion :  once  above  sixty  miles  in  circumference,  and 
containing  three  or  four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants, 
now  the  residence  comparatively  of  only  a  few,  to  this 
spot  did  the  apostle  of  the  circumcision  direct  his  steps 
(6).  It  was  the  seat  of  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion,  the 
descendants  of  those  who  would  not  return  to  Judea  at 
the  end  of  the  seventy  years  captivity.  Dr.  Lardner, 
and  from  him  Dr.  Benson,  hath  produced  a  good  col- 
lection of  authorities  to  prove,  that  there  was  an  infinite 
multitude  of  Jews  of  the  ten  tribes  beyond  Euphrates, 
dispersed  all  over  the  East  (7).  What  a  field  was  Bab» 
ylon  for  Peter  to  display  his  powers  of  demonstration  i 

(6)  Gal.  U.7,  8. 

(7)  Dr.  Lardner's  Credibility  of  the  Gospel- History.  Part  i.    Dr.  Benson's 
Notes  on  the  seven  Cathoiick  Epistles.    Hist,  of  St.  James.     Scot.  vA. 


S24f  REVIEW    or    APOSIOLICAI    CHlTRrw*.S.^ 

To  a  people,  who  believed  the  prophecies,  and  who  stood 
and  beheld  with  their  eyes  the  accomplishment  of  them, 
flow  forcible  the  argument  from  prophecy  !  Among  the 
ruins  of  a  worldly  empire,  which  had  bid  fairest  of  any- 
other  to  defy  time  and  chance,  how  wise  must  he  ap- 
pear, who  had  formed  a  plan  of  a  kingdom  not  of  this 
world  !  It  is  not  astonishing,  then,  that  Peter  should 
congregate  a  church  at  Babylon.  The  wonder  is  (yet 
who  that  knows  the  Jews  can  wonder  ?)  that  such  a 
man,  in  his  old  age,  should  suffer  a  violent  death :  but 
Jesus  had  foretold  it,  and  although  no  more  is  heard  of 
him  after  his  second  epistle,  yet  it  is  credible  the  proph- 
ecy of  Jesus  was  fulfilled.  fV/ien  thou  shah  he  old,  thou 
shah  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  shall  gird 
thee,  and  carry  thee  nvhither  thou  woiddst  not.  This  spake 
he,  signifying  by  what  death  he  should  glorify  God. 

Corinth.  That  beautiful  peninsula  of  Greece,  which 
is  now  called  the  Morea,  because  the  shape  of  it  resem- 
bles a  mulberry  leaf,  was  formerly  named  Peloponnesus. 
It  is  computed  to  be  about  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles 
long,  a  hundred  broad,  and  six  hundred  in  circumfer- 
ence going  round  the  bays.  Corinth  stood  near  the 
south-west  part  of  the  Isthmus  on  a  steep  bank.  The 
adjacent  sea  was  called  the  bay  of  Corinth :  it  is  now 
named  the  gulf  of  Lepanto  (8).  This  populous  city, 
free  and  rich,  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans  lest  it 
should  be  a  mean  of  checking  their  insatiable  lust  of  do- 
minion :  and  with  it  expired  the  liberties  of  Greece. 
Mummius  put  all  the  men  in  the  city  to  the  sword,  sold 
the  women  and  children  for  slaves,  as  he  did  all  the 
fugitive  men  as  soon  as  they  could  be  taken,  plundered 
the  city  of  its  incomparable  statues,  exquisite  paintings, 
and  most  valuable  effects,  and  then  setting  fire  to  it,  re- 
duced the  place  to  ashes :  and  all  this  by  an  unenlighten- 
ed genius,  who  did  not  know  a  picture  from  a  daubing, 
and  for  no  other  reason  except  that  the  strength  and  sit- 
uation of  the  place  might  one  day  encourage  the  Achag- 
ans  to  rebel  (9).  Other  reasons  were  pretended  :  but 
they  were  nothing  but  pretences.      This  was  about  a 

(8)  Dr.  Pocoke's  description  of  the  East.  Vol,  ii.  Part  ii.  Chap.  xii. 
Of  the  Morea  in  general,  and  of  Corinth. 

(9)  Hooke's  Roman  history.  Vol.  ii.  Book  vi.  Chap.  i.     Destruction  of 
Corinth Greece  made  a  Roman  province. 

Rollin's  Rom.  History.  Vol.  viii.     War  of  Achaia. 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES.  525 

hundred  and  forty-five  or  six  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ.  Julius  Caesar  rebuilt  it:  a  colony  was  settled 
there,  and  in  the  time  of  Paul  the  whole  country  was  a 
Roman  province. 

Corinth  was  distinguished  from  other  Grecian  cities 
by  its  lasciviousness  (l).  Strabo  says,  a  thousand  pros- 
titutes were  maintained  in  the  temple  of  Venus  (2). 
When  the  citizens  petitioned  the  goddess  to  grant  any 
particular  requests,  they  promised,  on  condition  the  fa- 
vours were  granted,  to  consecrate  a  number  of  girls  to 
her  service.  Thus  Xenophon  the  Corinthian  offered 
twenty-five  in  gratitude  for  having  obtained  a  victory  at 
the  Olympick  games,  and  these  ladies  began  the  hymn 
which  was  sung  while  the  victim  was  sacrificing  (3). 
The  history  of  Lais  is  well  known,  and  with  such  courti- 
zans  the  city  abounded  as  well  as  the  temple  (4). 

In  the  year  fifty-two  Paul  went  to  this  city.  The 
Emperor  Claudius  had  lately  banished  the  Jews  from 
Rome.  Christians  were  then  confounded  with  Jews, 
and  Aquila,  a  Jew,  who  had  resided  at  Rome,  had  quit- 
ted the  city,  and  settled  at  Corinth.  He  was  a  tent-maker, 
and  Paul,  who  was  of  the  same  craft,  lodged  and  worked 
with  him  (5).  The  Jews  used  in  general  to  support  their 
wise  men ;  but  it  was  a  prudent  maxim  of  parents  to  teach 
their  children  some  trade,  and  there  are  many  instances 
of  Rabbics,  who  in  adverse  times  wholly  supported  them- 
selves by  labour,  and  many  more  of  tradesmen,  who 
taught  in  the  synagogues,  and  were  denominated  Rab- 
bies  (6).  Among  the  Jews  sacrificing  was  annexed  to 
priesthood  :  but  giving  instruction  was  open  to  all :  and 
hence  it  was,  that  at  Corinth  Paul  attended  on  sabbath- 
days  at  the  synagogue,  and  reasoned  in  it  every  sabbath 
day,  and  persuaded  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  without  giv- 
ing any  offence  on  account  of  his  occupation. 

(1)  Erasmi  op.  ex  edit.  Joan.  Clerici.  Liigd.  1703.  Adag'.  Ih  proverb, 
Non  est  cujuslibet  Corinthum  appallare. 

(2)  Lib.    viii. 

(3)  Athen;ei  Lib.  xiii, 

(4)  Bayle's  Diet.  Vol,  vi.    Lais. 

Aristoph.  Plut.  Act.  i.  Seen.  ii.  Ver.  149.  Kui  retf  y'  irxtfxs  (patri  rctg 
KOPNI0IAS,  &c.  ScHoL.  "Evurnfioi  it  KsfivButlxifxt  (Avn^anvovlxi  Axa, 
Kvpjjyij,  Atxivx,  ZvtuTTn.  IIvffn>t),  ^iKvmyt,  8cc. 

(5)  Acts  xviii.     1,     2,     3. 

(6)  Joan.  Clerici  Bht.  EccUs.  Sxc.  i.  An.  lii.  -  -  ex  Vitringx  Synagog^ 
v»t.  Lib.  iij.  Par.  i.  C.  18.        Gill  «n  A«ts  xviii.  3. 


526  REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES. 

Sometime  after  Paul  had  resided  at  Corinth,  Silas  and 
Timothy  came  ihither.  Paul  had  hitherto  treated  on 
the  subject  of  a  Messiah  gently,  perhaps  by  inquiry, 
in  compassion  to  the  prejudices  of  the  Jews :  but  now 
he  felt  himself  animated  to  speak  explicitly,  and  to  iden- 
tify the  person,  and  he  declared  Jesus  was  the  Christ. 
The  Jews  were  exasperated,  and  blasphemed.  Paul, 
then,  shook  his  raiment,  declared  himself  clean  from 
their  blood,  and  departing  from  the  synagogue  entered 
into  the  house  of  one  Justus.  Having  thus  dissented, 
he  was  joined  by  Crispus,  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue, 
and  all  his  family :  by  Gains,  at  whose  house  he  went 
to  reside:  by  Stephanas,  and  his  family,  and  by  many- 
native  Corinthians,  who,  hearing,  believed  and  were 
baptized  (7).  Paul  himself  baptized  Crispus,  Gaius, 
and  the  family  of  Stephanas.  The  Greeks  say,  this 
Stephanas  was  the  same  person,  who  had  been  keeper  of 
the  jail  at  Philippi,  and  whom  Paul  had  baptized  there. 
They  say  this  to  explain  what  the  apostle  affirms,  that  he 
had  baptized  Crispus,  Gaius,  and  the  household  of  Stepha- 
nas, and  no  others  :  but  the  comment  is  not  necessary, 
for  Paul's  words  to  the  Corinthians  are  :  I  baptized  none 
of  you  [Corinthians]  except  such  and  such  persons. 
This  doth  not  imply  that  he  had  not  baptized  others  at 
different  places.  Stephanas  is  called  the  first  fruits  of 
Achaia,  but  Philippi  was  in  Macedonia.  The  removal, 
also,  of  the  jailor  seems  too  quick ;  for  the  churches  of 
Philippi  and  Corinth  were  both  congregated  in  the  sec- 
ond journey  of  Paul,  and  his  passac^e  was  quick.  When 
he  left  Philippi  he  went  to  Amphipolis  and  ApoUonia, 
but  he  did  not  stop  at  either  of  them.  He  went  forward 
to  Thessalonica,  and  taught  in  the  synagogue  only  three 
%veeks,  and  the  Jews  were  so  eager  in  persecuting  him, 
that  he  was  soon  obliged  to  fiee  in  the  night.  Then  he 
went  to  Berea,  but  his  stay  there  was  short ;  nor  doth  it 
iippear  to  have  been  long  at  Athens,  the  only  station  be- 
tween Berea  and  Corinth  (8).  It  is  also  said,  that  the 
fomily  of  Stephanas  addicted  themselves  to  the  ministry 
of  the  saints,  that  is,  they  undertook  the  diaconate  (7). 

(7)  Acts  xvi'.i.  8. -1  Cor,  i.  14,  15,  16. 

(8)  Acts.  xvi.  40 xvil.— xviii.  i. See  Dr.  Benson's  Map  of  PauVs 

fve  apostolick  Journefs,  viith  the  time  of  his  beginning    and  ending  enth 
journey. 

(9)  1  Cor.  xvi.  15.    Kse*  m  ^t,«.y.movi  ron  »yion  i\ci%ci*  %u,v\cv?. 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES.  527 

Thus  Paul  boarded  with  Gaius,  and  taught  in  the  house 
of  Justus  near  the  synagogue  ;  and  the  family  of  Stephanas 
took  care  of  the  poor  and  the  sick,  distributed  the  char- 
ities of  the"  church,  assisted  at  baptisms,  lodged  Chris- 
tian   strangers,    and     discharged   all    diaconal    duties. 
Here  Paul  continued  about  two  years,  and  congregated 
a  large  church,  for  the  Lord  had  much  people  in  the 
city  of  Corinth.     Nothing  can  be  inferred  from  the  bap- 
tism of  Corinthian  families  in  favour  of  infant-baptism. 
Only  two  households  are  mentioned,  and  only  one  is 
said  to  be  baptized :  that  one  is  said  to  addict  them- 
selves  to  the  ministry  of  the  saints.      Let  the  ministry 
mean  what  it  may,  it  signifies  something  of  which  in- 
fants were  incapable.      If  such  reasoning  could  be  ad- 
mitted,  the   argument  at   Corinth  would   stand   thus: 
Crispus  believed  with  all  his  house.      Paul  baptized 
Crispus:  but  he  did  not  baptize  his  household.      He 
says,  I  thank  God  I  baptized  none  of  you,  save  Crispus. 
Paul  did  baptize  the  household  of  Stephanas ;  and  he 
baptized  the  infant  children  of  Stephanas :   that  is,  in  one 
family  he  baptized  infants  who  did  not  believe,  and  in  anoth-> 
cr,  and  that  the  family  of  the  ruler,  he  did  not  baptize  the 
young  people  and  servants  who  did  believe.        Who 
doth  not  see  that  such  expositions  are  mere  quibbles, 
extracted  by  torture?  Luke  says,  the  Corinthians  heard, 
believed,  and  were  baptized.     Paul  says,  for  his  part  he 
baptized  Crispus,  Gaius,  and  the  family  of  Stephanas, 
•  which  family  where  the  first  fruits  of  Achaia,  and  offici- 
ated in  the  diaconate.    Epenetus  was  most  likely  the  first 
person  converted  of  this  family,  about  four  years  after  he 
lived  at  Rome  (i).      Probably  Paul  began  baptism  bf 
administering  it  first  to  Crispus,  late  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue, on  account  of  his  age  and  rank,  and  for  the  sake 
of   his  example.       Then  he   baptized   the  man  next 
in  rank,   Gaius.        Then  he  proceeded  to  Stephanas^ 
Epenetus  and  others  of  the  family,  whom  he  calls  assist- 
ants and  labourers,  and  they,  after  having  been  baptized 
themselves,   baptized  the  rest  (2).       This  was  a  wise 
and  proper  arrangement  ;  for  it  would  have  disconcerted 
all  order  if  he  had  either  baptized  the  inferior  part  of  the 
family  of  Crisims  before  Gaius  and  Stephanas,  or  if  he 
bad  not  bi'i^r^ed  all  the  family  of  Stephanas ;  for  in  the 

(1)  Rom.  xvi.  5. 

^2),  1  Cor.  xvi.  16.    Sv»spycv/l4  xw;  xtTrtfiyli, 


528  IlEVIEVV    OF    APOSTOLICAt    CHURCHES. 

former  case  he  would  have  been  slandered  as  a  leveller, 
and  in  the  latter  as  a  respecter  of  persons.  His  prudent 
management  precluded  both.  An  Oiko- baptist  bap- 
tizes a  family  :  an  Oiko-nomist  provides  food  for  them. 
Is  there  any  more  reason  for  affixing  the  ideas  of  infants 
to  the  first  term  than  to  the  last :  and  hath  every  house- 
hold steward  necessarily  the  care  of  infants  ?  If  not,  what 
is  this  argument  good  for?  It  is  merely  verbal  at  the 
best ;  and  on  examination  not  that :  yet  on  this  floating 
ground  some  place  infant  baptism. 

About  three  years  after  the  departure  of  Paul  from 
Corinth,  the  church  had  fallen  into  many  disorders, 
and  he  wrote  two  epistles  to  correct  them  :  one  from 
Ephesus  in  the  close  of  the  year  fifty-seven,  or  in  the  be- 
ginning  of  fifty -eight,  and  the  other  from  some  part  of 
Greece,  in  the  year  fifty-eight.  The  Corinthian  church 
was  very  large,  the  members  were  not  inferior  to  any 
in  spiritual  gifts  ;  but  through  the  influence  of  some  false 
apostle,  a  deceitful  worker,  and  it  should  seem  a  Jew, 
who  in  the  absence  of  Paul  had  insinuated  himself  in- 
to their  favour,  they  had  divided  into  factions,  fallen 
into  some  gross  immoralities,  and  carried  some  of  their 
disputes  before  heathen  magistrates.  The  false  apostle 
had  been  the  cause  of  all  these  irregularities,  and  he 
had  done  every  thing  in  his  power  to  discredit  Paul. 
He  had  a  violent  party  in  the  church  :  but  some  had 
defended  Paul,  and  they  wrote  to  request  his  advice. 
His  first  epistle  is  an  answer  to  their  letter  (3). 

The  two  episdes  of  Paul  afford  abundance  of  infor- 
mation on  various  subjects,  one  of  which  is  the  worship 
of  the  Corinthian  church.  Dr.  Benson  hath  treated  of 
this  subject  with  his  usual  accuracy,  and  the  outlines 
may  serve  here.  The  doctor  modestly  calls  it  a  rough 
draught  of  the  publick  worship  of  the  first  Christians  (4). 

He  begins  by  defining  and  explaining  the  spiritual 
gifts,  or  miraculous  powers  of  the  church.  The  doctor 
enumerates  nine  ;  but  they  seem  to  be  comprehended 
in  seven. 


(3)  Locke's  Paraph,  and  Notes  on  the  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians.  Synoptii. 

(4)  On  six  of  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  p.  603.  Part  ii.  Concerning 
the  publick  worship  of  the  Christians,  whilst  the  sprritual  gift*  continuo^. 
—Cor.  sii.  siii.  xiv. 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES.  529 

i.  The  first  and  highest  is  called  the  word  of  wisdom: 
that  is,  the  whole  scheme  of  the  gospel  doctrine.  This 
was  peculiar  to  the  apostles,  and  they  received  it  by  rev- 
elation. 

ii.  The  second  was  the  word  of  knowledge :  that  is,  a 
full  and  clear  comprehension  of  the  scope  and  design  of 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  and  a  thorough  understanding 
of  the  confirmation  which  the  Old  Testament  gave  to 
Ciiristianity.  They  who  had  this  gift  were  called 
prophets. 

iii.  The  third  was  faith :  that  is,  a  steadfast  belief, 
and  firm  persuasion,  of  performing  what  they  were  go- 
ing about.  As  this  gift  is  ascribed  to  teachers,  it  im- 
plies a  full  assurance  of  their  teaching  agreeably  to 
what  they  learned  of  the  apostles. 

iv.     The  fourth  was  the  power  of  healing  diseases. 

V.  The  fifth  was  a  power  of  working  miracles,  as  con- 
ferring spiritual  gifts  on  others  by  laying  on  hands,  and 
raising  the  dead. 

vi.  The  sixth  is  prophecy;  which  Paul  hath  de- 
fined to  be  a  speaking  unto  men,  for  edification,  and  ex- 
hortation, and  comfort  ;  that  is,  by  foretelling  tuture 
events,  or  by  delivering  by  inspiration  some  doctrine, 
direction,  or  exhortation,  or  by  praying  or  singing  by- 
inspiration.  In  this  gift  are  sometimes  included  dis- 
cerning of  spirits  and  interpretations  of  tongues,  which 
answer  to  helps,  governments,  speakers  of  tongues. 

vii.  The  seventh  is  the  gift  of  tongues  :  that  is,  an 
ability  to  speak  many  languages,  or  an  ability  to  inter- 
pret v\'hat  had  been  spoken  in  a  foreign  or  dead  language 
into  the  native  language  of  the  hearers. 

It  is  I  cxt  to  be  observed,  that  many  of  the  primitive 
Christians  were  very  illiterate  persons  :  that  many 
churches  were  chitdy  colleoled  from  among  the  idola- 
trous Gentiles,  who  had  been  extremely  depraved  :  and 
that  of  course  extraordinary  gifts  were  necessary. 
Without  these  it  would  have  required  a,u;es  to  plant 
and  settle  as  many  churches  as  Paul  planted  and  settled 
in  twenty  years. 

It  was  by  the  exercise  of  these  spiritual  gifts,  under 
the  direction  of  one  {)resident,  that  public  w(;rship  was 
carried  on.  The  scriptures  were  read,  most  likely  the 
67 


530  11EVIE\^    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES. 

Old  Testament,  but  certainly  the  New  as  soon  as  lu 
was  written.  Discourses  were  addressed  by  one  at  a 
time  to  the  rest  of  the  assembly,  by  apostles,  prophets,, 
evangelists,  teachers,  men  in  publick  congregations  of 
both  sexes,  and  women  in  assemblies  of  their  own  sex. 
The  discourses  were  instructive,  exhortatory,  tending 
to  comfort,  reprove,  and  so  on.  The  men  were  allowed 
to  propose  questions,  as  in  the  synagogues  ;  but  Paul 
disallowed  of  this  in  women.  In  case  of  great  offences 
censure  was  pronounced  in  publick.  There  was  no 
coercion  :  but  a  publick  censure  of  any  individual  was 
understood  to  signify,  that  the  whole  church  disapprov- 
ed of  such  practices  as  they  censured,  disowned  any  ap- 
probation of  the  conduct  of  the  offender,  and  would  not 
in  future  hold  any  communion  with  him.  Another 
part  of  publick  worship  was  receiving  the  Lord's  supper. 
There  is  no  instance  in  scripture  of  their  baptizing  per- 
sons in  the  church,  when  they  were  assembled  for  pub- 
lick worship.  Prayer  was  a  very  considerable  part  of 
publick  worship.  Some  prayed  by  inspiration  :  others 
without  it.  They  offered  up,  first  of  all,  supplications, 
prayers,  intercessions,  and  thanksgivings  for  all  men, 
for  kings,  and  for  all  that  were  in  authority,  that  they 
might  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all  godliness 
and  honesty.  At  the  conclusion  of  a  prayer,  thq  assem- 
bly aloud  pronounced  Amen.  One  part  of  publick 
worship  was  singing  the  praises  of  God  in  psalms, 
hymns,  and  spiritual  songs.  Some  suppose  they  sang 
singly,  one  at  a  time  :  others  that  they  sung  alternately  : 
in  the  fourth  of  Acts  it  is  said,  they  all  sang.  The  day 
of  worship  was  the  first  day  of  the  week  ;  and  the  put- 
ting off  some  part  of  the  earnings  or  profits  of  the  pre- 
ceding week  into  the  treasury  of  the  society  for  the  nee- 
essary  expenses,  was  one  part  of  the  service.  As  to  the 
place,  it  was  sometimes  the  private  house  of  a  Christian ; 
but  it  seems  highly  probable  that  in  general  the  first 
Christians,  after  the  example  of  the  Jews,  hired  large 
private  houses,  in  which  they  lodged  and  entertained 
strangers,  and  relieved  the  sick  and  the  poor,  the  living 
in  which  they  gave  the  deacons  and  deaconnesses ;  and 
with  this  difference  from  the  Jews,  the  Jews  had  syna- 
gogues to  which  such  houses  were  appendages  ;  Chris* 
tians  had  no  others  but  these,  and  they  held  their  pub- 


TvEVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES.  S^l 

lick  assemblies  in  them.  These  were  called  the 
church's  houses. 

Damascus.  This  capital  of  Coele-Syria  is  a  very 
ancient  city.  It  is  mentioned  in  the  history  of  Abraham. 
It  is  about  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
David  conquered  it :  but  it  was  recovered  in  the  time  of 
Solomon,  and  was  governed  by  kings  of  its  own  till 
the  time  of  Isaiah,  when  the  king  of  Assyria  took  it.  It 
was  always  under  arbitrary  government ;  for,  as  the 
prophet  Isaiah  beautifully  expresses  it,  if  Damascus  was 
the  head  of  Syria,  king  Rezin  was  the  head  of  Damas- 
cus. It  was,  however,  always  free  in  regard  to  religion  ; 
and  as  it  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  situations  of  the 
East,  so  it  always  was  and  yet  continues  rich  and  popu- 
lous. In  the  time  of  Ezekiel,  the  merchants  drove  a 
large  trade  in  wine,  white  wool,  and  other  raw  materials 
for  manufacturing,  in  the  fairs  of  Tyre.  At  this  day,  they 
import  by  their  annual  caravans  the  merchandises  of  Per- 
sia and  India.  They  manufacture  burdets  of  silk  and  cot- 
ton, striped  and  plain,  and  plain  silks  like  tabbies,  all  wa- 
tered, which  adds  much  to  their  beauty.  These  Syrian 
merchants  form  one  large  branch  of  that  river  of  eastern 
treasure,  which  at  Aleppo,  Smyrna,  and  all  through  the 
Levant,  rolls  tides  of  wealth  into  Europe.  The  Da- 
mascenes have  imprinted  their  name  on  manufactures 
by  the  invention  of  damasking  or  damaskeening,  which 
is  the  operation  of  beautifying  inferior  metals  by  making 
incisions  in  them,  and  filling  them  up  with  gold  or  silver 
wire.  Damasking  partakes  of  the  mosaick,  for  it  is  in- 
laid work  :  of  engraving,  for  it  cuts  the  metal,  and  rep- 
resents various  figures  ;  of  carving  and  chasing,  for  gold 
and  silver  is  wrought  in  relievo.  Silks  and  stufis  with 
raised  patterns  are  also  called  damasks.  All  these  arts 
were  carried  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection  in  the  East, 
before  Europe  knew  how  to  make  a  plough. 

Ecclesiastical  history  exhibits  no  event  more  interest- 
ing than  the  conversion  of  Saul,  which  was  effected  near 
Damascus,  and  which  made  such  a  considerable  change 
in  the  affairs  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus.  By  Ananias,  one 
of  them,  Saul  was  baptized.  The  waters  of  Damascus 
are  the  great  conveniency  and  ornament  of  the  city,  and 
the  division  of  them  into  channels  and  serpentine  streams, 
«dged  with  verdure,  is  extremely  beautiful.     Bathing  is 


532       REVIEW  or  apostolical  churches: 

the  delight  of  the  Damascenes :  they  use  bagnios  to  ex- 
cess. I'hey  have  water  in  such  abundance,  that  all  parts 
are  snpplied  with  it,  and  every  house  has  either  a  foun- 
tain, a  large  bason  of  water,  or  at  least  a  pipe  or  conduit. 
The  eastern  gardens  are  orchards  or  woods  of  fruit-trees, 
rot  regularly  disposed,  and  onl\  laid  out  in  narrow  walks. 
Sinall  htieanis  are  brought  through  these  aromatick 
groves,  and  fall  into  fountains  and  water- works,  and  ba- 
sons in  open  pavilions.  Some  baths  are  seated  round, 
and  shaded  with  trees  ;  others  are  in  large  covered 
rooms,  the  cn[jolas  supported  by  marble  pillars,  and  the 
side^  all  round  lurnibhed  with  sofas.  There,  in  silk  and 
cotton  stripes  and  lainbow  hues,  stretched  at  his  ease, 
lies  the  sott  Damascene,  regaling  himself  with  sweet- 
meats of  candied  iruits  which  are  in  the  highest  perfec- 
tion, and  drinking  water,  wine,  rinfresco,  made  with 
liquorice,  lemons  or  dried  grapes,  and  cooled  with  snow  ; 
or  sipping  ccjffee,  or  shertDet,  the  juice  of  lemons  or  or- 
anges diluted  with  water,  and  improved  with  sugar. 
Just  so  the  pro()het  Amos,  more  than  two  thousand  live 
hundred  and  eighty  years  ago,  described  the  Jeu  s  who 
lived  in  this  city,  the  children  of  Israel  dwell  in  Damas- 
cus in  a  couch.  The  Damascenes  insist  on  it,  that  their 
teiiiiory  was  the  literal  Eden  of  Adam,  who  Wiismade 
of  thtir  carnation-soil. 

Such  expositors  of  the  ninth  of  Acts  as  suppose  Saul 
was  baptized  by  sprinkling,  would  not  do  amiss  to  con- 
sider one  observation  of  a  most  accurate  modern  critick. 
"  It  is  a  great  pity,  that  men  of  learning  will  not  consid- 
er the  natural  history  of  the  places  they  treat  of  :  much 
depends  on  this  kind  of  knowledge."  The  application 
of  ihis  wise  maxim  enabled  this  gentleman  by  a  few 
sim|  le  principles  to  unravel  a  thousand  fables,  and  to 
substitute  the  gold  of  history  for  the  tinsel  of  mythology. 
In  regard  to  the  fact  of  Paul's  baptism,  he  himself  says  : 
he  died  and  was  buried  in  baptism  in  likeness  of  the  death 
of  Christ. 

Ecclesiastical  mythologists  have  been  pleased  to  con- 
vert the  inhabitants  of  this  city  into  a  church,  and  to  or- 
dain Saint  Ananias,  bishop  of  Damascus,  and  as  usual 
to  crown  him  with  martyrdom  :  but  they  have  degrad- 
ed the  holy  man.  There  were  no  bishops  in  being 
then  :    the  superintendency  was  in  the  apostles  :    and 


REVIEW    OF    APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES.  533 

Ananias  was  of  an  order  superior  to  bishops,  and  even 
to  evangelists,  and  probably  was  one  of  the  seniority 
called  eye-wituesses^  for  he  laid  hands  on  Saul,  restored 
his  sight,  and  communicated  to  him  the  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  It  is  likely,  but  it  is  not  certain,  that 
there  was  a  Christian  church  congregated  and  formed 
at  Damascus.  The  sacred  historian  is  very  brief,  and 
omits  the  history  of  three  years  of  the  life  of  Saul, 
which  properly  comes  in  between  the  tweiuy-fifth  and 
twenty-sixth  verses  of  the  ninth  of  Acts.  After  he  had 
been  let  down  in  a  basket  over  the  wall  of  Damascus, 
he  went  into  Arabia,  where  he  spent  three  years. 
Then  he  returned  to  Damascus,  which  renders  it  prob- 
able that  there  was  one  church,  or  more,  there.  It  is 
ea^y  to  invent  fables  :  but  it  is  impossible  to  compile 
hisiory  without  materials. 

Ephesus.  The  metropolis  of  Asia.  Paul,  in  com- 
pany with  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  arrived  here  in  the  year 
fifty-four.  He  went,  as  usual,  to  the  synagogue,  and 
reasoned  with  the  Jev\  s  :  but  he  did  not,  at  this  time, 
attempt  to  preach  to  the  idolatrous  Ephesians.  He  was 
requested  to  stay,  but,  w  ith  a  promise  of  returning,  he 
set  off  for  Jerusalem,  leaving  his  companions  at  Ephesus. 
During  his  absence,  one  Apollos,  an  Alexandrian  Jew, 
an  eloquent  speaker,  and  a  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist, 
came  to  Ephesus,  and  spoke  in  the  synagogue  with 
great  zeal  and  seriousness,  for  he  was  fervent  in  spirit, 
and  was  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord.  Disciples  of 
John  were  such  as  had  been  excited  to  prepare  for  tlie 
coming  and  kingdom  of  the  Messiah  :  but  they  had 
not  been  informed  of  what  had  happened  at  Jerusalem 
after  John  had  pointed  out  the  person,  and  they  knew 
nothing  of  the  history  of  Jesus.  Aquila  and  Priscilla 
intormed  Apollos  of  the  whole,  and  so  taught  him  the 
way  of  God  more  perfectly.  Paul,  the  year  after 
his  departure,  returned  to  Ephesus.  Apollos  was  then 
gone  to  Corinth  :  but  Paul  found  at  Ephesus  about 
twelve  discii)les  of  Jf)hn,  perhaps  converted  by  Apollos. 
They  had  been  baptized,  but  they  had  heard  nothing  oi 
what  had  passed  after  the  death  of  John,  at  least  they 
had  not  heard  of  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Many 
think,  even  the  judicious  Benson  thought,  Paul  caused 
these  men  to  be  re-baptized  :    but  the  opinion  seems 


534  REVIEW     OF    APObTOLICAL    CHUReilES." 

premature.  There  is  no  instance,  unless  this  be  one, 
of  the  repetition  of  baptism  :  and  there  is  no  necessity 
for  thinking  this  one.  The  opinion  would  lead  to  sl 
supposition  that  all  the  disciples  of  John  were  rebaptized. 
The  dialogue  stands  thus. 

Find,  Have  ye  {_t'wehe']  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
tiince  ye  believed  ? 

Tivehe.  We  have  not  so  much  as  heard  whether 
there  be  any  Holy  Ghost. 

FmiL     Into  what  then  were  ye  baptized  ? 

Tkvche.     Into  John's  baptism. 

Paul.  John  verily  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  re- 
pentance, saying  unto  the  people,  that  they  should  be- 
lieve on  him  which  should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on 
Christ  Jesus  ;  and  they  who  understood  this  were 
baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  (5). 

The  meaning  of  the  apostle  seems  to  be  :  that  al- 
though John  had  not  made  use  of  the  name  of  Jesus  in 
the  administration  of  baptism,  but  of  one  of  the  names 
of  the  Messiah^  perhaps  He  that  is  coming,  himself  at 
first  not  knowing  the  person,  yet  when  he  and  his  disci- 
ples were  afterward  informed  Jesus  was  the  name,  and 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  man,  then  they  understood  them- 
selves to  be  his  disciples,  the  disciples  of  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth. This  was  what  Paul  said,  and  it  went  to  authen- 
ticate the  baptism  of  John.  What  he  did  follows.  He 
laid  hands  upon  them,  and  they  received  the  gifts  of 
tongues  and  prophecy  (6).  A  case  very  much  like 
this  had  happened  at  Samaria.  Philip  had  taught  them 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  had  baptized  both  men  and  women  :  but  Philip 
was  only  an  evangelist,  and  although  he  wrought  some 
miracles,  yet  he  did  not  lay  on  hands  to  communicate 
the  Holy  Ghost.  The  apostles  at  Jerusalem  sent  Peter 
and  John  to  lay  on  hands.  They  did  so,  and  the 
Samaritans  received  the  Holy  Ghost  (7). 

The  case  of  the  disciples  of  John  was  singular,  and  it 
was  of  consequence.  There  were  Jour  classes  of  men 
formed  into  Christian  churches  ;  in  some  separately, 
in  others  intermixed.     The  first  were  such  Jews  as 

(5)  AK6vn-xv%  -  -  Akovu.  intelligo,  1  Cor.  xiv.  2.     Luke  xvi.  2.    John 
ti-  31.  &c. 

(6)  Dr.  Gill  Gn  Acts  six.  (7)  Acts  Yiii.5— 17. 


REVIEW    OF     APOSTOLICAL    CHURCflES.  535 

Were  converted  after  the  ascension  of  Jesus  :  these 
were  baptized,  either  in  companies  as  at  Jerusalem  on 
the  first  sermon  of  Peter,  or  individually  as  Saul  was  at 
Damascus  (8).  The  second  were  Jewish  proselytes  : 
these  were  baptized,  either  singly,  as  the  Ethiopian 
eunuch,  or  several  at  the  same  time,  as  Cornelius  and 
his  friends  at  Cesarea  (9).  The  third  were  idolatrous 
Gentiles  :  these  were  baptized,  as  the  Corinthians,  and 
others  (l).  The  disciples  of  John,  who  had  not  heard  of 
Jesus,  made  a  fourth  class.  ApoUos,  and  the  twelve  at 
Ephesus,  were  of  this  class,  and  perhaps  there  were 
many  more  :  but  they  do  not  appear  in  any  apostolical 
churches  except  this  of  Ephesus.  It  was  natural  there-. 
fore  for  Paul  to  give  an  opinion  on  the  validity  or  inva- 
lidity  of  the  baptism  of  this  class  of  men.  It  doth  not 
appear  that  ApoUos  was  rebaptized  ;  and  if,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  Paul,  the  baptism  of  John  was  valid,  the  whole 
is  uniform  and  consistent  with  a  position  which  he  laid 
down  to  this  church,  and  with  his  reasoning  addressed 
to  another.  To  Ephesus,  he  wrote  :  There  is  one 
Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism  ;  intending,  perhaps,  to 
decide  on  the  case  of  the  disciples  of  John.  With  the 
Galatians,  who,  after  they  had  professed  themselves 
Christians,  inclined  to  Judaism,  he  reasoned  thus  :  a» 
many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ,  have 
put  on  Christ ;  which  is  equal  to  saying  :  to  be  baptiz- 
ed is  to  profess  Christianity — you  have  been  baptized— 
therefore  you  are  Christians,  not  Jews. 

Philippi.  In  this  city  of  Macedonia  there  are  sever^ 
al  articles  which  deserve  attention.  Hither  Paul  and 
Silas  came  in  the  second  apostolical  journey,  which 
was  between  the  years  fifty-two  and  fifty-four.  There 
was  by  a  river  side  without  the  city  a  place  where  pray- 
er was  wont  to  be  made.  On  the  sabbath-day  Paul  and 
Silas  went  thither,  as  probably  there  was  no  synagogue 
in  the  city;  and  Paul  sat  down,  and  spoke  to  the  wo- 
men who  were  present.  A  woman,  named  Lydia,  a 
seller  of  purple,  of  the  city  of  Thyatira,  attended  to  the 
things  which  were  spoken  of  Paul.  She  had  been  a 
worshipper  of  God  before,  but  whether  a  Jewess  or  a 

(8)  Acts  ii.  36— 38— .Ix.  18.— -xxii,  12—16. 

(9)  Acts  viii,  26-39.... s,^.-47.  (1)  Acts  xvUi.  7— U. 


536  REVIEW     01     APOSTOLICAL    CHURCHES. 

proselyte  is  not  known.  The  Lord  opened  her  heart, 
and  when  she  and  her  family  were  baptized,  she  be- 
sought the  apostle  and  his  companion  to  abide  at  her 
house.  Some  are  pleased  to  suppose^  first,  that  Lydia 
had  ybung  infants  in  her  family  ;  secondly,  that  they 
were  baptized,  and,  thirdly,  that  Christians  ought  to  fol- 
low her  example.  A  book  of  suppositions  is  a  line  of 
cyphers  without  an  unit.  It  is  more  to  the  purpose  to 
observe,  that  the  family  of  Lydia  are  afterward  called 
brethren^  whom  Paul  and  Silas  comforted  when  they 
took  leave  of  them  before  they  left  the  city. 

It  should  seem,  Jews  were  not  tolerated  in  this  city, 
for,  Paul  having  put  a  stop  to  the  incantations  of  a  girl, 
who  was  employed  by  masters  to  acquire  gain  by  her 
practice,  the  masters  complained  to  the  magistrates  in 
the  forum  that  these  men  being  JexDs  taught  customs, 
which  it  was  not  Lnvfid  for  the  citizens  to  obey.  The 
magistrates,  as  Paul  expresses  it,  shamefully  entreated 
them.  They  tore  off  their  clothes,  commanded  them  to 
be  beaten,  and  committed  them  to  prison.  The  jailor 
too  well  executed  the  barbarous  order.  At  midnight 
Paul  and  Silas  sang  praises  to  God,  and  while  the  other 
prisoners  heard  them,  an  earthquake  shook  the  prison, 
the  doors  were  opened,  and  every  one's  bands  were 
loosed.  The  jailer,  awaking  out  of  his  sleep,  and  find- 
ing the  prison  doors  open,  drew  out  his  sword,  and 
would  have  killed  himself,  supposing  the  prisoners  had 
been  fled;  for  he  had  nothing  to  hope  from  the  clemen- 
cy or  justice  of  such  magistrates  as  employed  him. 
With  great  calmness  Paul  prevented  his  rash  attempt  on 
his  own  life,  by  ^assuring  him  that  no  prisoner  had  availed 
himself  of  the  event  to  escape.  When  a  light  was  pro- 
cured, the  jailer  trembled,  and  inquired  of  Paul  and 
Silas,  in  the  most  submissive  manner,  what  he  must  do 
to  be  saved.  They  informed  him,  and  spoke  the  word 
of  the  Lord  unto  him^  and  to  ^// that  were  in  his  house. 
The  man  first  took  them  the  same  hour  of  the  night  and 
washed  their  stripes:  next  he  and  all  his  were  straightway- 
baptized  :  and  lastly,  he  brought  them  into  his  house,  set 
meat  before  them,  and  rejoiced,  believing  in  God  with 
«// his  house.  No  man  would  imagine,  unless  he  had 
seen  it,  that  this  history  of  a  family,  who  all  heard,  and 
all  believedy  could  ever  be  quoted  as  a  proof  of  the  bap- 


REVIEW   OF    APOSTOLICAL      CHURCHES.  537 

tism  of  new-born  babes.  They  who  suppose  that  because 
the  baptism  was  perfoniied  in  the  iii.^iit,  aiul  in  the  piis- 
on,  it  was.  perfoiMtied  by  sprinkli  i^r,  uouicl  do  well  to 
consider"  that  they  barden  themselves  wiih  two  articles 
(to  mention  no  mji  c)  vvnich  it  is  imp  j.^sible  to  prove  :  the 
one,  that  there  was  no  bath  in  the  prison,*  and  the  oth- 
er, that  the  keeper  and  his  tkmily  did  not  go  out  of  it. 
Suppositions  may  be  innocently  used  as  ornaments  of 
well-estabhshed  facts  ;  and  the  facts  are  not  less  true, 
though  they  may  be  less  beautiful,  if  the  suppositions 
be  groundless:  but  to  affirm  a  conjecture  for  a  tact,  and 
to  build  a  practice  on  imaginary  tacts,  as  if  they  wcie 
truths  of  demonstration,  is  a  very  diiferent  process,  and 
to  touch  the  conjecture  is  to  hazard  the  whole  fabrick. 

The  stern  and  manly  conduct  of  Paul  to  the  magis- 
trates does  the  highest  honour  to  his  character  and  his 
doctrine.  They  had  scourged  him  openly  uncondemn- 
ed,  and  they  would  have  thrusted  him  out  privily, 
No\\)j  said  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  dispart,  and  go  in 
peace.  No,  by  no  means,  exclaimed  the  apostle,  let  iliem 
come  themselves  and  fetch  us  out.  iVe  are  Romans, 
What  dignity  of  character ! 

About  ten  years  after,  Paul  wrote  to  the  Christian 
church  in  this  city,  and  then  there  were  bishops  and 
deacons  in  it;  of  course,  it  had  come  to  a  settlement. 
This  plurality  of  bishops  in  one  chnrch,  in  one  city,  is  a 
case  in  point  against  diocesan  bishops.  The  apostle 
was  then  in  confinement  at  Rome,  and  as  the  Philippi- 
ans  had  sent  a  present  to  him  by  Epaphroditus,  their 
messenger,  so  the  epistle  is  a  letter  of  thanks.  It  is  full 
of  information,  and  contains  not  false  complimeiUs,  but 
justly  merited  praise  of  the  amiable  dispositions  of  the 
people. 

*  "  Another  objection  is  thus  stated,  &c.  This  case  can  present  no  diffi- 
culty to  the  minds  of  any  of  you,  my  brethren,  who  may  have  been  within 
the  yard  of  the  prison  in  tins  city  (C:ilcutta,)  or  are  acquainted  with  tiie  fact 
that  prison  yards  in  the  East,  as  well  as  tlie  yards  and  gardens  of  private 
iouses,  are  usually  provided  with  tanks  (i.  e.)  cisterns  of  water." 

[^yudson's    Sennon    on    Christian     Baptism, 
treached  in  CaUutta,  1812.— />.  14, 15. 


68 


RECAPITULATION. 


HAVING  gone  over  a  great  deal  of  ground,  it  cannot 
be  improper  to  pause,  and  take  a  retrospect,  collecting,  as 
well  as  the  subjects  will  allow,  the  whole  into  one  point  of 
view,  in  order  to  retain  a  general  idea  of  a  very  diffuse  and 
complex  affair. 

The  first  chapter  attempts  to  narrate  tlie  origin  of  bap- 
tism, and  it  appears  to  have  originated  in  an  order  of  God, 
executed  by  John  in  the  little  kingdom  of  Judea,  then  a 
province  of  the  Roman  Empire,  in  the  reign  of  Tiberias 
Ccesar. 

The  second  inquires  what  baptism  John  administered, 
and  shews  it  was  that  of  immersion  in  water. 

The  third  treats  of  the  persons  baptized,  and  attempts  to 
prove  they  were  only  believers,  and  here  Jesus  is  introduc- 
ed as  Lord  of  the  New  Economy. 

The  t\vo  next  proceed  to  inquire  whether  baptism  were 
in  use  among  the  Jews  before  John,  or  among  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  and  it  is  shewn  that  it  was  not,  but  was  altogether  a 
new  and  divine  appointment. 

The  seventh  chapter  treats  of  the  improvement  of  the 
institution  by  Jesus  Christ,  He  did  not  alter  the  subject, 
a  believer,  or  immersion,  the  mode,  but  he  extended  the 
commission  to  baptize  so  as  to  include  the  Gentiles  of 
that  age,  and  all  mankind,  who  might  become  his  disciples 
in  future  ages. 

The  next  chapter  observes  that  the  congregations  col- 
lected by  the  immediate  apostles  of  Christ  were  baptized 
by  immersion,  and  that  none  but  believers  appear  on  this 
occasion  ;  and  here  ends  sacred  history,  without  exhibit- 
ing any  infant  or  any  sprinkling. 

The  ninth  chapter,  and  the  two  foUoAving,  narrate  the 
Eastern,  Roman,  and  Mohammedan  favourite  practice  of 
bathing,  and  the  twelfth  shews  that  the  primitive  Christians 
erected  similar  buildings  for  the  purposes  of  sacred  bathing, 
and  called  them  baptisteries,  from  baptism,  which  they 
practised  by  immersion  there. 

The  next  four  chapters  describe  several  baptisteries, 
both  of  eastern  and  western  Christians,  and  shew  that 
their  histories  are  credible,  and  their  conduct  proper  only 
on  supposition  that  they  baptized  believers  by  immersion. 
^  The  seventeenth  chapter  introduces  artists  depicting  bajj- 
tism,  and  lui warily  obscuring  what  tliey  meant  to  eluci- 
date. 


RECAPITULATION.  539 

The  next  treats  of  fonts  both  natural  and  artificial,  and 
shews  that  a  conlusion  of  names  introduced  a  contusion  of 
things,  by  which  means  the  original  practice  of  baptism 
became- more  corrupted. 

The  baptism  of  infants,  that  is,  of  minors,  so  called  in 
general,  follows,  and  here  it  is  observed  that  the  equivocal- 
ness  of  words  went  to  add  to  the  corruption  of  baptism. 

The  next  chapter  shews  that  the  weak  fondness  of  par- 
ents, iuid  the  enthusiasm  of  the  monks  helped  yet  more  to 
corrupt  baptism,  by  transferring  to  babes  an  institute  prop- 
er only  for  men. 

The  twenty-first  chapter,  and  the  two  following,  shew 
that  Africa,  the  least  enlightened  part  of  the  Christian 
world,  cherished  the  baptism  of  babes  ;  and  that  Augustine, 
a  pretended  saint,  but  an  illiterate  hypocrite  of  wicked  dis- 
positions, brought  it  to  perfection  there  in  the  fifth  century; 
but  the  novel  practice  had  no  extent  or  duration  worth 
mentioning. 

The  next  chapter  shews  how  the  Easterns  depraved  the 
institute,  and  brought  it  down  gradually  to  children. 

Chapter  the  twenty-fifth  examines  a  pretended  canon  of 
some  poor  African  rnonks,  who,  to  supply  their  wants, 
imported  African  baptism  into  Spain,  in  the  sixth  century. 

The  next  chapter  shews  how  the  Emperor  Charlemagne 
imposed  on  the  Saxons  a  law  for  infant  baptism,  to  serve  the 
political  purpose  of  enslaving  them,  and  others  of  mankind; 
and  how  other  despots  copied  his  example,  and  turned  the 
institute  of  Christ  into  an  engine  of  state. 

The  twenty- seventh  chapter  accounts  for  the  extensive 
progress  of  infant  baptism,  by  shewing  how  well  it  suited 
the  interest  of  various  classes  of  men,  and  the  very  corrupt 
manners  of  those  ignorant,  enslaved,  and  barbarous  times. 

Next  follows  an  account  of  several  consequences  of 
making  baptism  necessary  to  babes,  and  so  brings 
on  the  last  stage  of  the  corruption  of  it,  -the  practice 
of  baptizing  infants  unborn,  who  could  not  be  im- 
mersed, but  might  by  art  be  wetted,  and  so  the  priests 
found  themselves  obliged  to  affirm  that  moistening  a  pi.rt 
was  equal  to  bathing  the  whole.  This  vulgar,  inde- 
cent, and  barbarous  farce  is  yet  acted  abroad,  under 
the  false  pretence,  that  the  wise  and  good  Sovereign  of  the 
universe  hath  connected  invisible  and  eternal  benefits,  not 
with  knowledge  and  virtue,  but  with  the  exercises  of  a 
priest,  how  silly  and  sordid  soever,  both  he  and  tliey  may 
be.  However,  this  whole  system  is  consistent  with  itself, 
for  if  it  be  once  admitted  that  baptism  and  eternal  life  are 
inseparably  connected,  the  necessity,  and  even  the  charity 
of  baptizing  every  living  human  animal,  follow  of  course, 
and  the  doctrine  is  established  that  there  is  no  salvation  out 
of  the  church. 


540  RECiiPlTULATION-. 

Baptism  hnd  been  practised  many  ages,  in  divers  coun- 
tries, by  all  sorts  of  men,  and  it  had  been  connected  with  a 
great  variety  of  other  practices.  These  connections  are 
treated  of  in  the  two  following  chi,pters,and  they  all  imply  that 
the  institute  had  been  made  very  free  with  to  serve  secular 
interests  by  men,  \'\'ho  h  d  not  regulated  religion  by  its 
only  standard  the  holy  scripture,  and  that  even  these  abuses 
tell  the  original  form. 

The  thirtv-third  chapter  traces  the  history  of  aspersion, 
and  shews  that  the  monks  introduced  from  Pagan  rites  the 
practice  of  sprinkling  holy  water,  which  in  the  end  was  mis- 
taken for  Christi  m  baptism. 

The  next  treats  of  the  real  practice  of  primitive  baptism, 
which  in  some  countries  truly,  and  in  others  falsely  is  call- 
ed Anabajjnsm,  and  the  three  folIo^ving  chapters  narrate 
the  present  state  of  baptism  in  various  churches.  Eastern 
and  Western,  Greek,  Roman,  Reformed,  and  Renovated,  by 
the  original  pnttcrn. 

Having  n.-rrated  ihe  several  states  of  this  divine  institute, 
the  subject  closes  with  an  attempt  to  shew  the  true  ground 
on  which  religion  in  jiisiice  ought  to  rest ;  and  as  baptism 
is  a  positive  institute,  1  oth  commanded  and  exemplified, 
a  list  is  given  of  all  the  first  churches,  in  which  there  does 
not  appear  any  sprinkling,  or  so  much  as  one  infant,  whence 
the  conclusion  is,  that  infant  baptism  is  not  of  divine  ap- 
pointment, and  that  Christianity  is  rot  in  this  institute 
openly  or  covertly  inimical  to  the  birth-rights  of  mankind  ; 
on  the  contrary,  by  requiring  personal  knowledge  and  vir- 
tue, it  is  the  best  friend  of  a  good  system  of  civil  govern- 
ment, and  deserves  well  of  all  mankind.  It  removes  igno- 
r.  nee,  the  bane  of  virtue,  and  by  educating  the  world, 
teaches  mankind  at  once  to  be  both  rational  and  religious, 
fit  members  of  civil  society,  and  "  meet  to  be  partakers  of 
an  inheritance  with  the  saints  in  light." 


INDEX. 


Acta  Seinctorwm,  60  or  ?'0  volumes  323 

Action,  the  true  ground  of.  in  religion  501 

Adult  b.,pt  im,  no  connexioTi  with  the  subject  of  government,  422 

£.non    John's  third   baptismal  station,  f'niiy  deiicnbed  26 

Ablutions,  or  washing-s,  were  prevalent  among  all  nations  49 

Ambrosians.  books  so  called  o70 

Ambrose,  pj-overnor  of  Milan,  chosen  bishop,  nominated  by  an  infant    155 
American  Bcptists  elect  teachers,  &c.  "  425 

Anabaptist,  is  one  who  is  rebaptized  411 

Catiit-rine  III.  of  Russia  was  one  411 

Different  kinds  of  persons,  so  called,  in  general  six  sorts         412 

■ •     Churches  improperly  so  denominated  437 

Anabafitism,  Firmilian,  Dionyxius,  the  Acephali,  Novatus,  Novatian, 

Donatus,  &c.  all  practise  it  410 — 41S 

'-—        All   parties   thought  it  necessary  to  the  purity  of  their 

churches  414 

Antipedobaptists,  a  name  given  by  Dr.  Wall  416 

Alwin,  Abbot  of  Canterbury,  sent  for,  out  of  England  by  Charlemagne 
to  assist  in  subduing  the  Saxons — has  more  than  twenty 
thousand  under  him  262 

• his  description  of  trine  immersion.        Note  264 

Africa,  what  is  meant  by  it  in  ecclesiastical  history  161 

when  the  gospel  planted  in  it,  not  known  162 

— —     church  coniinued  in  it  about  800  years  163 

the  condition  of  children  in  it  I73 

always  trafficked  in  persons  183 

African  fathers,  but  little  notion  of  Christian  liberty  185 

Amulet  represents  both  the  Trinity  and  baptism  to  be  given  to  chil- 
dren "  231—249 

Anecdotes,  none  connected  with    infant   baptism ;     many   related   of 

ancient  baptisms  294 

-  of  a  Greek  Captain,  defining  baptism  by  motions.     Note      517 
Antioch,  the  church  there  at  one  time  contained  one  hundred  thousand 

members  58 

-  Review  of  the  chtirch  of,    520  do.  in  Pisidia  521 

lasciviousness  of  525 

Apostolical  churches.  Review  of  5I9 

Arguments  the  Baptists  reject  5I4 

Armenia  divided  into  fifteen  provinces  444 

Arnoldi,   and  Dr.   H    Schyn,  refute  the  charges  against  the  Dutch 

Baptists  419 

Arlanism.  triumphs  in  Africa,  '  163 

Arther,  Prince,  son  of  Henry  VII.  his  baptisnt  124 

knighted  125 

Asdrubal,  his  wife's  barbarity  180 

Aspersion  369 

Assent  free,  rule  of  action  513 

Atto's  canon   against   baptizing  any  who  could  not  say  by  heart  the 

creed  and  the  Lord's  prayer  280 

Audofedis,  sister  to  the  king  of  France,  dipped  three  times  375 

Austin,  baptized  more  than  ten  thousand  in  the  river  Sw  ale  in  England 

in  a  day  jig 

Angustine  of  Africa,  his  history  and  character,  and  eflbrt  to  bring  in 

the  baptism  of  babes  194 — 206 

becomes   bisliop   of    Hippoo— his   saying   infant  baptism 

was   an    universal  custom    shown   to   be   a  forgery   or 
mistake  20Q 

the  Manicheans  deny  his  ever  belonging  to  them  205 

B 

Babe,  the  term  defined  I54 

Babylon,  Review  of  the  church  of  522 


542  INDEX. 

Page 
Bagnios,  publiek  and  private  62 

Basil,  bishop  of  Ceserea  offers  to  heal  the  child  of  the  Emperor 
Valens  on  condition  it  should  be  delivered  to  him  to  be 
educated  in  the  belief  of  the  Trinity  233 

while  at  Athens  at  school  with  Gregory  knew  but  two  streets, 

to  school  and  church  77 

Basnage,  James,  his  remarks  381 

Basket,  to  let  down  children  into  the  water,  ordered  by  the  Empress 

of  Russia  455 

Baptize,  a  dyer's  word — signifies  to  dip  so  as  to  colour  17 

Bapto,  its  derivatives  and  compounds  defined  by  Dr.  Gale  18 

Baptism,  TertuUian's  account  of  tlie  primitive  mode  18 

-  Mohammed  calls  it  sebgatallah  (divine  dying)  18 

is  one    of  the   most   curious   and   complicated  subject*  of 

ecclesiastical  history  249 

of  abortives  303 

in  Africa  in  the  time  of  TertuUian  159 

. rose  pure  in  the  east  309 

of  babes  in  the  time  of  Cyprian  177 

instituted  by  Jesus  Christ  51 

which  John  administered  16 

by  immersion  and  superfusion  described  on  a  tomb  near 

Naples  111 

— —    not  a  temporary  institute  55 

of  an  infant   of  no  more  account  than  a  deed  of  its  signing^ 

would  be  415 

■    ■  ■  ■     in  the  estahlished  Greek  church  452 

-  -    of  believers  connected  with  Uniformity,  Persecution,  and  the 

baptism  of  Minors  and  Babes  317 

connected  with  the  Roman  Hierarchy  311 

—         with  Superstition  321 

—         with  Endowments  324 

—        with  Collation  of  Benefices  and  Purgatory  326 

—         with  Monachism  329 

—        with  Social  Obligations  334 

— —  —         with  Judaism  340 

—         with  Chivalry  344 

. —        with  Sacerdotal  Habits  349 

—        with  Witchcraft  351 

— —    in  the  Roman  church  463 

« at    the    Reformation    in    a  slate    of  extreme  corruption  in 

the  Catholick  Church,  470 

. the  ceremony,  of  corporal  investiture,  471 

of  infants  in  the  Roman  Catholick  church,  how  conducted,  472 

to  be  administered  on  a  Sunday  in  a  church,  477 

English,  Welsh  and  Irish,  established,  484 

Calvinist,  484 

Calvinist  Congregational,  485 

of  this  kind,  how  administered  in  a  particular  case,  486 

" Arminian  Congregational  Church,  489 

administration  of,    by  the  English,   Dutch,   American,  and 

German  Baptists,  490 

of    forty-eight,  in    a    river  at  Whittlesford,  ''seveR  miles 

from  Cambridge  490 

how  administered  by  Christians  of  the  laiddle  ages  497 

by  the  Dutch  Baptists  498 

Eng'ish-Aroerican  Baptists  -  499 

Baptizing  all  nations,  its  meaning  52 

Baptists,  Dutch,  publish  sound  creeds  437 

.    Dutch,  Swiss,  and  Moravian,  bear  no  arms,  shed  no  human 

blood  423 

all  hold  Anabaptistical  errors  420 

British,  in  the  6th  elass  of  Anabaptis.ts  416 


INDEX.  54.^ 

Fagt 
Baptists,  Particular  and  General  506 
Baptist  Church,  a  general  notion  of  433 
Basilica  Salvatoris  313 
Baptisteries,  described  67 
-disappeared  as  infant  baptism  gained  ground  290 

diHlrent  from  a  font  70 

.      of  St   So]5hia,  Venice,  Florence,  Novara,  and  Milan  73—96 

-      Lateran  at  Rome  82 

■                  two  in  Ravenna  SIS 

dedicfited  to  John  Baptist  316 

Baptistery,  first  artificial  one,  erected  at  Rome           .  312 

Bapt'sinal  Churches  resemble  Thermnpylce,  in  Grecian  history  320 

Bathing-tubs  made  by  Otho,  in  Pomerania                                   120,  268,  456 

Baths,  Eastern,  described  by  Lady  Montag-ue  60 

— i      Roman  60 

— i      Mohammedan  65 

Benson,  JDr  what  he  says  of  proselyte  baptism  43 

Benedict  xiv.  Pope,  his  museum  325 

Bells,  ba])tisnj  of                                                                               -  359 

Beggars,  tvo  hundred  thousand  in  Scotland  552 

Bellami'ne,  Cardinal  46S 

Bigotry  of  the  Persians  and  Turks  about  washing  hands  160 

Bill  of  fare,  at  the  baptism  of  the  son  o.f  the  Earl  of  Haddington  355 

Born  of  water,  early  expounded  literally  378 

Bay  bishop,  described  151 

British  Christians,  twelve  hundred  murdered  by  Austin's  means  128 

Britons,  object  to  Austin's  plans  of  infant  baptism  127 

Bunyan,  -yohn.  Tinker  of  Bedford                                               '  41g 

c 

Canon,  the  term  defined,  o"li 

-  first  ecclesiastical,  in  Europe  for  the  baptism  of  babes  250 

-  made  by  the  Council  of  Girona,  of  sixty  or  seventy  bishops —     251 

they  decree  a   child  equal   to  a  man,   and  to  be  baptized  the 

day  of  its  birth,  if  it  refused  its  mother's  milk  258 

Cachachouran,  a  festival  of  the  Armenians  444 

Cardinals,  their  origin  314 

seventy  in  number  315 

Capititiavium,  or  Palm  Sunday  113 
Catechinnen,  form  of  making  one  in  the  Greek  church  in  Russia,   as 

related  by  Dr.  King  291 

Carthage,  a  tenth  part  reputed  Christians  178 

Catalogue  of  Anabaptists  made  out  417 

CathoUcks,   not  shocked  at  finding  a  ceremony  laeither  ancient  nor 

scriptural  '  >  371 
Causes  of  the  extensive  progress  of  the  baptism  of  babes  269 — 290 
Ceremonies,  unmeaning,  connected  with  infant  baptism,  may  be  traced 

to  a  pz-obable  origin  when  applied  to  adults  29G 

• twenty  two  in  baptism                              -  46> 

CAar/e7/ifl^ne  obliges  the  Saxons  on  pain  of  death  to  be  baptized,  and 
under  the  penalty  of  severe  fines  to  baptize  their  chil- 
dren 262 
Christ's  indulgence  to  his  disciples'  weakness  50& 
Christening  of  a  child,  a  dead  unanimating  trifle  295 

of  ro)  al  children,  magnificent  preparations  for  them  123 

of  fleets  362 

Church  Generalship  320 
Christian  Churches,  made  up  of  whole  nations,  its  evil  efTects  57* 
Chrysostom  describes  the  baptismal  rite.  Note  76 
Child,  llie  term  defined,  147 
Ciampini,  John,  a  learned  antiquary  398 
Cisterns  of  water  in  prison  yards  in  the  East.  Note  from  Judson's  ser- 
mon, on  Christian  Baptism,  preached  in  Calcutta  537 

Clinicis,  or  bed-ridden  people—sprinkling  inyented  for  ttem  ic  Africa  402 


544  INDEX. 

Pagt 
Clement's  hymn  in  Latin  and  Greek  510 

Cie7nent,  Origen's  master,  his  Pedag-ogne  209 

he  applies  the  term  children  to  Christians  210 

admires  the  Spartan  mode  of  education  215 

Clov's,  first  christian  king-  of  France,  dipped  three  times  116 

Collins,  Hercules,  a  Baptist  minister,  opposed  by  F.Mence,  Independent  428 
Commemorative  B  iptiwi,  368 

Communion,  administered  to  children  as  soon  as  baptized  284 

Confirmation,  at  baptism  272 

Consecration  of   the  water  came  from  the  ancient  and  pious  custom  of 

praying  at  the  water  side  458 

Cb«if.-i7;</«e  cured  of  his  leprosy  at  his  baptism  _  4U0 

Consequences  of  transferring  baptism  to   babes — baptisteries,    deacon- 

nesses  and  catechumens  disappeared  290 

Corinth,  Review  of  the  churcli  of  524 

Gopronymus  and  Cyprian  were  nicknamed,  how  it  came  to  pass  123 

Cradle  chtid,  the  old  Saxon  word  for  169 

Cross,  the  badge  in  the  Crusadt-s  348 

Council  of  sixiy  bishops,  they  decree  that  a  child  is  equal  to  a  man  188—1 89 

of  Toledo  in  Spain  340 

of  Braga  forbid  the  priests  from  extorting  money  from  the  poor 

for  baptising  their  infants  2fi0 

of  York  ordered  baptism  by  trine  Immersion  476 

Cvrel,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  his  lectures  preparatory  to  baptism      220 — 223 
D 

Dai'tle,  Monsieur,  his  aversion  to  baptizing  infants  518 

Damascus,  Review  of  the  church  of  531 

Danes,  thirty  officers  baptized  in  a  river  to  confirm  a  treaty  130 

Datheus,  of  Milan,  establishes  a  foundling  hospital  285 

Debauched  blaspheming  christians,  &c.  come  from  infant  baptism  302 

Dedication  of  children   to   God  an  imitation  of  Hannah's   dedicating- 

her  son   Samuel  to  the  Lord  Note     271 

first  heard  of  in  Africa  192 

Dedicated  children  become  Samuels,  hewing  Agags  in  pieces  before  the 

Lord  19S 

Demand  for  children  great  with  the  monks  273 

Demo7is,  two  sorts  in  the  pagan  world  410 

Dennis  St  Church  of,  where  Pepin  was  anointed  by  Pope  Stephen  III  380 
Devirs  baptism  '  3.51 

Devil,  mocked  the  holy  water  357 

-  drowned  in  baptism  Note     392 
destroyed    in  baptism  as  the   Eevptians  were  drowned  in  the 

Red  Sea                                       ^'  Note    289 

Difficulty  of  writing  the  history  of  the  Anabaptists  417 

Dipping  Infants,  inconvenient  and  cruel  378 

found  to  be  a  troublesome  ceremony  409 

many  expedients  to  remedy  the  evil  379 

Donatus,  two  persons  of  that  name  _                         197 
Donatists,  four  hundred  congregations  in   Africa  at  one  time,— rebap- 

tlze  all  who  ioin  them  from  the  Calholirks  197 
Dove,  descends  on  the  head  of  Severjis,  a  wool  comber,  who  in  conse- 
quence is  chosen  bishop  of  Ravenna  109 
Dunstan,  fell  a  swearing  at  the  baptism  of  Ethelred,  on  account  of  an 

accident  whirh  bi-fel  him  in  the  water  410 

Dudith,  Andrew,  his  excellent  character  505 

E 

JC.  Edivard's  Cafech'sm  speaks  of  dipping  395 

£(/warc^  vi.  his  ba()ti SMI  124 

Edwin,  king  of  Northtunberland,  baptized  at  York,  by  Paulinus  119 

i'^M/"',  the'landof  symbals                                                "  ^^^"~^iJ 

Egvpt'wi  baptism,  or  the  baptism  of  minors                 _  207 

Egyptians  drowned  in  the  red  sea  as  sins  are  in  baptism.  Note              289 

£/>/;? /t/«f/*  of  baptism.  Note                             "  305 

I'/V~_/.,W.     r...«^„  „f  C-.,..l„„,l    C..r.U:A^r.^.-AA^^r^  Ko;nn.   morto  r.r;estS  28J 


INDEX.  545 

Page 

Enthusiasm,  a  vague  term  426 

Ephesits,   Review  of  t!:e  church  of  533 

Epiphanius,  wrote  a.  history  of  what  he  did  not  know  167 

Extraordinary  children  157 

Expedients;  to  remedy  the  evil  of  dipping-  children  379 

F. 
Facts,  three  authenticated,  incontinence  of  the  clergy,  baptism  of  mi- 
nors, putting  children  into  orders  282 
Fate,  an  apology  for  misconduct  in  Africa  161 
Fidus  writes  to'Cyprian  of  Carthage    whether  children  might  be  bap- 
tized before  they  were  eight  days  old  180 
—    is  supposed  to  recommend  infant  baptism  as  expedient  to  save 

them  from  being  burnt  185 

Fifth  Class  of  Anabaptists  415 

Finger  of  John  the  Baptist,  said  to  be  at  Florence  99 

First  lesson  of  Chivalry,— Xo  love  God  and  the  ladies  345 

First  law  tor  sprinkling  381 

remarks  on  it  382 

Fires,  St.  John's  365 

Five  opponents  to  the  baptists,  Magistracy  422 

Leariiing  423 

Clerical  Authority  424 

Enthusiasm  426 

Purity  of  Churches  427 

Fonts  Baptismal  114 

Font  BHptismaly  put  over  a  well  129 

Danish  of  Bridekirk  129 

Forty  four  congregations  in  Rome  312 

Foster,  Dr.  James  418 

Franks,  more  than  three  thousand  baptized  at  the  time  king  Clovis  was  117 

G 

Garret  Essays,  on  Greek  propositions  for  infant  baptism  325 
Gclasinus,  a  pagan,  to  mock  the  baptism  of  Christians,  was  plunged  in 

a  tub  of  water  on  a  theatre,  for  the  diversion  of  tie  company  294 

Gerbert,  Father  Martin,  illustrates  baptism  by  immersion  393 

German  Taufer,  to  immerse  395 

George  St.  (f  England,  a  blasted  heretick  346 

Gill,  Dr.  calls  infant  baptism  a  main  ground  and  pillar  of  popery  408 

Godfathers,  in  Venice,  some  have  a  hundred  4)0 

Godfather's  lecture  to  a  child  176 

Gno&ticistn  rose  out  of  the  oriental  philosophy  227 

Greeks  understand  baptism  aa  the  Baptists  do.     Note  5l7 

Greek  baptism,  or  the  baptism  of  little  ones  2  7 

Greek  Inf.nts,  lustrated  hfth  day                                                       '  3/3 
Greeks  understand  their   own  language    better  than  foreigners— have 

always  understood  baptism  to  mean  dippii'g  15 

Greek  and  Armenian  Churches,  plung-e  a  Cioss  in  a  river  44-} 

Gregory's  Oration  on  the  delay    tf  baptism,  in  Gieck  2.^0 
Gregory  reproves  the  gentry  of  Na^ianzum  for  b:.ing  unwilling  to  be 

baptized  \n  the  same  bar)tistery  with  servants  319 

compares  bapt  sm  to  an  anxilet  331 

Guise,  Dr.  his  singular  opinion  on  tlie  manner  of  John's  baptizing  405 

11 

Harduin,  Father,  accuses  Pope  Srephen's  canon  of  being  a  forgery  383 

Hemero-hapttsts,  mentioned  bv  Dr   Gale  40 
Henry,  bi.shop  of  Liege,  boasted  of  having  been  the  parent  of  iourteen 

children  in  twenty  months  279 

reproved  by   Pope  Gregory  for  portioning  his  bastards  cut  of 

church  estates  281 

Holy  luaier,  its  wonderful  eflects  as  told  by  Catholit,ks  377 

Hospital  of  yerusalem,  its  great  wealth  324 

69 


j;4.6  INDEX. 

Houieholds  baptized,  but  no  children  |^ 

Hussites,  their  doctrine  and  disciphne  '*  ' 

Immersion,   single  or  trine,  the  ordinary  mode  of  baptism  till  after 

the  Refer iTiation  ^^"^ 

in  the  conditional  form  ^ 

when  dispensed  with  475 

in  the  church  of  Rome,  how  it  fared  *'^ 

Infant  baptism,  the  best  way  to  establish  it  by  law  ^^^    ^^^ 

Infant,  the  term  defined  '      -g 

i—  nominates  Ambrose  bishop  of  Milan  f  J^ 

baptism  first  appears  in  Africa  ^^^ 


__      an  ancient  practice  . 

.^ burning,  took  two  hundred  years  to  suppress  it,  no  wonder 

infant  baptism  holds  out  so  long 
communion  began  at  Alexandria    .  ." 


182 


communion  ucgdu  '^^  .v.^-.^-..-. --    .              .    ,  -tft:: 

Infants  appear  at  three  diflerent  and  distinct  periods  ^"^ 

l!l  little  ones  rciolced  in  the  Lord  and  suffered  persecution  167, 168 
All  dying  unbaptized  perished  ^^ 

Carthaginian  singers  and  martyrs  _ 

. circumstances  must  determuie  their  age          „    .      ,      .  , 

ZZ  the  consequences  of  admitting   members   of  Academies  and  ^^^ 

Literary  Societies  r, 

i;/ancy«/C;irMf,  a  book  concermng  It  - 

Infant  damning  doctrine,  charged  on  Hercules  CoUms  4.y 

Inquisition  described  by  Dr.  Lewis  „gg 
S^^r  ften&  an  infant  of  8  years  5  -nths^in  Greek         138 

L  of  Paschasius  an  infant  of  six  >  ears  of  age,  in  Latm  1^9 

of  Basil,  an  infant  of  12  years  of  age,  i"  L^tm  145 

of  Joanna  Baptista,  who  at  sis  months  old  did  wonderful  things  157 

.  of  Innocens,  in  Latin  „ 

of  a  bell,  translated.  Note  ;J^^ 

Instrument,  John  baptized  with  275 
Iron  century 

Jacob,  tottering  before  king   Pharaoh,  and   bis   days /.^.  and  edl, 

represents  Christianity  coming  out  of  Africa  ^^^ 

'yanarn«,  the  liquefaction  of  his  blood  „ 

^-i/Wem-ia/^rsm,  or  baptism  of  Catechumens  .     p" 

ferusaZ,    L   n'ame   forgotten   in   the  third  century,   purged  of 

naeanism  by  Constantine  in  the  fourth  century  ^    .     ,      ,.         ~^^ 

jromTl^entJni,  of  Lucca,  publishes  a  book  to  direct  the  baptism 
jerom  J^Loren      ,  ^^  ^^^.^^^^^  "^^^^^^^  dedicatedto  Christina,  Queen  of 

Sweden  ^°* 

7oAn  tAe  Ba/>fzi?,  his  mission  and  character 

born  at  Hebron                           ,  ^    ,    ,— u  -ic 

praised  by  Jews,  Arabians,  and  Catholicks  15 

-         called  the  dipper,  in  German         ,.,,..  ^^'    ,q 

whether  he  used  any  form  of  words  m  baptizing  19 

places  where  he  baptized  :J^ 

his  head  at  Amiens  in  France  ^J^ 

persons  whom  he  baptized  •i\ 

lies  all  over  the  Catholick  world  y^ 

bore  the  bell  ^^ 

:it.  John  adfontes,  its  meaning  2^ 

Jordan,  described  as  to  its  size,  &c.  24 
.    subject  to  floods  like  the  Nile  „2 

Joshua's  ieslging  Jericho,  absurd  to  take  it  for  a  perpetual  mode  4o2 

Knights,  singular  exhortation  given  them.  Note 


INDEX.  547 

Fage 
^flights   initiated  by  a  kind  of  baptism  347 

Knots,  shoulder,  anecdote  respecting  them  513 

Knighthood,  polluted  baptism  348 

Languages  confounded  at  Babel,  the  Hebrew  of  522 

Lasco,  John  a,  his  catechism  defines  baptism  dipping,  in  Dutch.  Note  389 
Lateran  baptistery  82,  312 

Laurence  I.  his  singular  opinion  of  original  sin  100 

Law  first  in  Europe  for  baptizing  babes.  Anno.  789,  and  the  effect  of  it  261 
Lent-Sermons,  in   the    Greek   church    similar   to   Baptist  discourses 

before  baptism  75,  78 

Lightfoot,  Dr.  what  he  says  of  proselyte  baptism  44 

a  great  promoter  of  sprinkling  403 

Licensed,  or  unlicensed  persons — any  body  authorized  to  baptize  dying 

infants  379 

Lions  leave  their  dens  or  thickets  at  the  swellings  of  Jordan  24 

Lobo,  Jerome,  a  Jesuit,  baptized  the  Abyssinians  as  Dr.  Guise  supposed 

John  baptized  his  disciples  407 

Locke's  description  of  a  church  435 

Lycurgus  would  have  signed  the  Manifesto  of  the  MuQSter  men  438 

Lustration,  Pagan,  described  372 

Christian  374 

Christian,  applied  to  baptism  377 

Lutheran  Baptism  as  it  is  practised  in  established  rituals  in  Saxony, 

Denmark,  and  Norway  482 

offices  in  baptism  four  482 

M. 

Mnbillon,  Father,  opposes  sprinkling  387 

Madrid,  auto  de  fe,  at  504 

Malta,  stone  baptistery  found  there  317 

Margaret,  Q;ieen  of  Scotland,  her  baptism  125 

Mass,  its  absurdity  exposed  in  a  play  404 

Mela,  in  Numidia,  council  at  201 

-  its  anathema  against  those  who  deny  infant  baptism  202 
Melancthon's  Preface,  &c.  defines  baptism  immersion  397 
Menno  418 

his  arguments  against  the  orthodox.    Note  463 

was  dipped  499 

Ml/an,  Silengihy  description  of  a  baptismal  ceremony  by  immersion  103-106 

Miscellaneous  articles  nearly  or  remotely  connected  with  baptism  309 

Monks,  or  monachism,  originates  in  the  East  331 

their  houses  and  pursuits  271 

arrived  in  the  West  in  the  fourth  century  ,  331 

arose  to  an  incredible  degree  of  wealth,  &c.  332 

'  ■ taught  before  they  bapiized  337 

Moda  of  bap  ism.,  not  in  dispute  in  Africa  164 

Montanists,  Tertullian  joins  them  172 

Mosheim,  Or.  account  of  the  deplorable  gloom  of  the  tenth  century       275 

imperfect  views  of  liberty  435 

Munstcr  Baptists  435 

Mustek,  both  vocal  and  instrumental  imported  from  Solomon's  temple  343 
Muratori,  Lewis  Anthony,  contends  for  trine  immersion,  as  an  ancient 

and  universal  practice,  387 

Mysteries  of  Isis  and  Mithra,  devised  by  Satan  to  mock  baptism  369 

N 

Naked  persons,  baptizad  so  94 

New  England,  account  of  witchcraft  in  it,  354 

New  Testament  Bapvsm,  or  the  baptism  of  men  and  women  207 

Novara,  the  baptistery  of  100 

o 

Od  of  gladness:,  origin  of  the  phrase  458 


548  INDEX. 

Page 
One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  persons  destroyed  420 

Opivlons  f)f  foiii-  learned  Catiiolicks  on  biip'ismal  aspersion  385 

Orclarn  ng  ii'tle  bnys,  tlie    same    arguments  used  against   it  as  now  by 

the  Baptists  ug.unst  baptizing  them  281 

0-ga»s,  'inrertai'i  when  they  were  or  Jug;'  it  into  churches  344 

Oriental  Churches,  State  of  baptism  ui  them  439 

Nestorians  4,59 

Clinstians  of  St.  Thomas  442 

Asian  Jacobites  443 

African  Jacobites  anrl   Copts  343 

— i —  Armenians  444 

— ^—  Georg-iuns,  Mengrellians,  and  others  447 

Disciples  of  St.  John  448 

, .  Municheans  449 

Chinese  Christians  451 

Origen,  a  native  of  Alexandria,  his  character  and  works  207 

makes   b  iptism   of  three   kinds,  r/uer  baptism, ^^e  baptism, 

and  h/ood  baptism  305 

Origin  of  pictures,  images.  &c.  313 

Otho  immerses  in  tubs  let  into  the  ground  in  a  cold  season,  in  Po- 
merania  268,  456 

P. 
Pag'tt,  Ephraim  419 

Pag  in  a/>/uf/o«i',  whether  baptism  were  an  imitation  of  them  48 

Palestine,   fur  diflerent  reasons,  represented  dry  and  barren — no  water 

in  it  f'lr  immersion  !  20 

Patriarch  o^ X.\\e  Armenian  church  446 

Paul  nists  to  be  rebaptized  becMUse  they  de  ied  the  Trinity  414 

Passion  is  not  a  rigliteous  ground  of  jtction  "  508 

Paul  Maria  Pac  audi  exclaims  against  baptizing  by  aspersion  386 

Pedagogue  or  school  master  143 

Pedotribe  or  riding  master  143 

Peruvians  give  tlie  name  at  two  years  old  373 

Phuippi,  review  of  the  church  of  535 

Pilgrims  e^rly  aspired  at  tlie   honour  of  being  baptized  in  Jordan 

where  Christ  was  23 

Phlip^s  profession  of  faith  at  his  baptism  339 

Playing  the  devil,  origin  ot  the  phrase  353 

Poland,  its  ancient  boundaries  265 

Pomps,  of  the  worhl,  original  meaning  460 

Popes,  their  corruptions  and  debaucheries,  especially  John  xii.  Grego- 
ry vii    and  Alexander  vi.  276 — 278 
Pope  Liberiiis  baptizes  in  one  day  in  a  font  8810  catechumens  115 

—  Damasus  raises  to  life  a  boy  drowned  in  a  font  !  116 

—  Stephen  III.  fled  into  France  to  imolore  aid  of  Pepin  380 

—  —  gives  liberty  to  sprinkle  in  case  of  necessity  381 

—  —  immerses  in  baptism  89 
IlaAA*  uhotrct^  criticisms  on  the  expression  disproved  and  refuted  36 
Prayers,  tsc.  of  primitive  times  530 
Porphyry,  a  stage  player,  plunges  himself  to  mock  baptism  368 
Porphyry,   b'shnp  of  Gaza;  obtains    an   edict    of  the    infant   emperor 

Theodosius  at  his  baptism,  to  destroy  the  idol  temples  235 — 248 

Pouring,  in  baptis-ii,  hm  intricate  affair  398 

—  no  mention  of  it  in  the  primitive  church  400 

—  on  the  head  not  baptism  401 
Pregnant  women  required  by  law  to  have  every  thing  prepared  to  bap- 
tize their  children  in  case  of  danger  of  death  379 

Prejudices  govern  mankind  more  thun  reason  234 

Proselyte  baptism,  fully  described,   and  the  absurdity  of  proving  infant 

sprinkling  from  it  exposed  36—47 

-— —    described  44 


INDEX.  549 

Page 
Protestants,  a  list  of  their  arguments  to  support  infant  baptism  431 

Punsters  and  writers  of  jest  books  had  dipping  in  baptism  for  the  ob- 
ject of  their  wit  295 
Purifications  by  fire  364 

Q. 

^ahrs  resemble  an  assembly  of  primitive  christians  508 

^idntilla,  a  lady  of  fortune  ofPepuza  166 

R. 

Sathbod,  king  of  Friesland,  draws  back  from  the  font  and  refuses  to 

be  baptized  US 

Pebaptizing,  a  small  error,  compared  with  others  the  Baptists  hold       420 

ReCAPI  1  ULAl  ION  538 

Reduction  of  baptism  in  the  East,   from   men   to  minors,   and  from 

minors  to  babes  206 

of  baptism  from  dipping  to  sprinkling,  a  brief  detail  of  593 

Peformed  baptism  477 

Pt/ormed  Established  Churches,  retain   many  errors  as  to  baptism         478 
Rejormers,  English,  singular  style  of  objections  against'oil,  spittle,  &c.  479 

wished  for  a  further  Reformation  480 

Regius  Urban  disputes  publickly  at  Augsburg  with  a  Baptist  lady  336 

i?e//c-fsofthe  dead  329 

Renunciation  of  Satan,  origin  of  the  practice  459 

Ravenna,  Calholick  and  Arian  Baptisteries  in  it  90 

Richard,  earl  of  Warwick,  his  baptism  131 

Ring,  episcopal,  how  explained  349 

Rhodes,  Father  de,  his  gospel  452 

S 
Sacrifices,  human,  offered  to  Gods  by  different  nations  181 

Mr.  Bryant's  accomit  of  the  same  182 

Sadolet,  James,  secretary  to  Leo  X.  speaks  of  trine  immersion  397 

Saint  Balaam,  to  be  preferred  to  St.  Austin  202 

Salisbury  Prytner,  and  goodly  pictures  468 

Salvation,  the    absurdity   of  supposing  it,    depends    on  the    trifling 

ceremony  of  sprinkling  a  child  409 

Salt,  wrapped  up  in  the  clothes  of  an  exposed  child,  denotes  it  had  not 

been  baptized  285 

in  baptism — the  salt  of  wisdom  needful  to  some  473 

Saturn,  two  hundred  children  and  three  hundred  citizens  sacrificed  to 

him  at  Carthage  181 

held  in  great  veneration  by  the  Numidians  18S 

Severus,  a  wool-comber,  chosen  Archbishop  of  Ravenna  109 

Servetus  burnt  507 

Six  principal  circumstances  favourable  to  the  progress  of  the  baptism 

of  babes  269 

Socinus,  in  the  fourth  class  of  Anabaptists  415 

Spartan  Helots,  their  miserable  condition  218 

Sp'ttle,  in  baptism,  traced  to  its  origin  474 

Sophia,  St.  every  thing  in  the  church  of,  goes  to  prove  baptism  was 

administered  by  trine  immersion  to  instructed  minors  74 

baptism  In  it  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries  81 

Sponsors,  how  they  originated  319 

Sprinkler,  the  key  of  hell  577 

Sprinkling,  first  introduced  Instead  of  dipping  388 

Sprinkling,  Infant,  is  a  sort  of  Christian  Lustration,  no  hint  of  it  in  the 

New  Testament  391 

• the  parallel   between  pagan  lustration  and  christian 

sprinkling  392 

Strabo,  Walafrid,  of  the  9ih  cent,  his  account  of  baptism  by  pouring       107 
Stork,  Nicholas  418 

Sucsessors  of  the  Apostles,  who  are  they  ?  -54 


550  INDEX. 

T 

Temples,  or  houses  of  worship,  whether  early  christians  had  them 
Testament,  and  last  Will  of  Adald,  a  little  infant  of  Lucca 


Page 

68 

140 


141 

163 


of  Count  Gaifer,  little  infant  \V. 

Hubert,  a  little  infant 

7e,'a////a»,  history  of  , 

exti-aclfrom  his  Latin  folio  ai^ainst  the  baptism  of  little  ones  1/0 

_ what  he  says  of  candidates  for  baptism  making  profession 

twice  ^y 

—     compares  christians  to  fishes  '-^ 

Teflis  the  capital  of  Georgia                                          ^  y^l 

how  Catholick  missionaries  were  treated  in  it  4oU 

Theodosius,  emperor,  baptized  at  Thessalonica  222 

Theucarius,  a  church  master  becomes  an  Arian,  claims  a  number  ot 

children  i^G 

Tide,  every  one  rolled  wrath  into  the  church  ->-^y 
Trent  Council,  order  of,  as  valid  with  catholicks,  as  an  apostolical  canon  371 

Trial  by  cold  water.     Note  ^^^ 

Tropical  Baptism,  never  by  sprinklins^                             _  ^^^ 

Turner,  Dr.  William,  his  treatise  against  the  Anabaptists  ^yo 

Tiuehe  disciples  of  Ephesus,  not  rebaptized  5J4 

Tv-'o  baptisms  no  party  holds  ^}l 

Tyndal,  William,  calls  baptism,  plunging  *^^° 

Vague  meaning  of  the  words  infant,  child,  little  one,  &.c.  286 

Valier,  St.  bishop  of  Qiiebec  ,  wu  *  . k 

Vicccombss,   Dr.  Joseph    Dc,  contends  for  immersion,  and  that  tne 

three  thousand  were  so  baptized  ^^ 

Vice-ivives  kept  by  the  clergy  T^ 

Victor,  bishop,  appealed  to  .,„ 

Voltaire's  opinion  of  the  Anabaptists  *^ 

Vossius  neither  dips  nor  pours 

w. 

Waldensp.s  and  WickUffites,  their  doctrine  and  discipline  ^  ^~' 

Wall,  Dr.  founds  his  main  argument  for  infant  baptism  on  the  Jewisii 
baptisms 
—    observes  all  national  churches  practise  infant  baptism— it  was 


that  that  created  them  national  churches 


408 


Warm  water,  validity  of  baptism  in  it  questioned  ^5j> 

Whip,  much  used  ^ng 

Williams,  Dr.  Daniel,  his  hard  sayings  ,  .,j    u  r    « 

Wesley,  John,  requires  a  certificate  of  the  weakness  of  a  child,  belore 

he  v/ould  dispense  with  dipping,  in  Savannah  ^° 

Widekind  out-generalled  by  Charlemagne 
Wisdom  of  Solomon,  an  apocryphal  book  written  by  Jews  m  Alexan-      ^ 

dria,  100  years  before  Christ  -f^^ 

7fV*/ii/»of  the  first  christians  ^"^ 


SUBSCRIBERS'  NAMES. 


NOVA  SCOTIA. 
T.  H.  c:hipman 

NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

Cornwatlis. 
Edward  1Manning8 

MAINE. 
Blue  Hill. 
John  R(»undy 

Tliomaston. 
Elisha  Snow 
Wm.  Jones 
George  Coombs 
Wyiuoiid  Bradbury 
Dea.  Job  Washburn 
James  Stark  pole 
Aaroa  Gleason 
John  Bearneid 
Hezekiah  Prince,  Esq. 

Camden. 
Silas  Fay 
Ephraim  Wood 
Ephraim  Merrick,  jr. 

Warren. 
Isaac  Brakeley 
John  Miller 
Cyru^  iNewcomb 

St.  George. 
Benj.  Eames 
Joel  Miller,  Esq. 

Woolwich, 
Samuel  Stinson 
Dea.  Robert  Perkins 
Mary  Farnham         2 
Daniel  Harthora 
Nath.  Day 
Charles  Curtis 
Benj.  Show 
Capt.  Eben.  Delano 

Cushing. 
Dea.  Elijah  Norton 

Jefferson. 
Dea.  Tho.  Trabk,jr. 
Abiather  Richardson 

Waldoboro" . 
Andrew  U'a'^iitrr 
Whitefield. 
Joseph  Bailily 
Dea. Abraham  Cheate 
Barnabas  Tobey 
Sara.  Carlton,  jr. 

Alna. 
Timothy  Woodman 
Isaac  Hilton 
William  Avreel 


Augusta. 
Joel  Clark 
John  Hovey,  Esq. 

Halloicell. 
Fem.  Bap.  Mite  Soc.  2 
Wm.  Wood  bridge 
Joseph  Ham 

Winthrop, 
Lemuel  Casson 

Readjield 
Joanna  Case 

Wayne. 
Dea.  Constant  Dexter 
Joseph  Gould 
Leeds. 
Thomas  Francis 
Zebulon  P.  Millet 
Matilda  Millet 
Capt.  Seth  fjovvard 
Barnabas  Howard 
Giddings  Lane 
Peter  Lane 
Elias  Lane 
Dea.  Wm.  A.  Day 
Martin  Leonard 
Greene. 
John  Daggett 
John  Moore 
Dea.  Reuben  Curtis 
Elijah  Barrel!,  Esq. 
Capt.  Moses  Harris 
Jacob  H.  Chadburn 
New  Gloucester, 
Isaac  Gross 

Saco. 
Collins  Richards 

luyman. 
Samuel  Grant 
Nathaniel  Liltlefield 
Jesse  Taylor 

Parsonsfield. 
William  Taylor 

Brunswick. 
Benjamin  Titcomb 
David  Given 
Ephraim  Brown 
Josiah  Goold 
Shimuel  Owen 
William  Curtis 
Nathaniel  Melcher 

Topshnm. 
Adam  Wilson 

i\ortli  Yarmouth. 
Oris  Briggs  8 

Calvin  ^dtockbridge 


Kennehunk. 
Timothy  Kezer  4 

Tobias  Lord 
Francis  Watts 
John  Tripp 
David  Little 
Daniel  Gooch 
Jonathan  Perkins 
John  Davis 
Isaac  Emerv 

Bath. 
Silas  Stearns 
Dea.  Elijah  Low 
Dea.  Stephen  Morse 
John  B.  Swanton      3 
Rachel  R.  Macomber 
Huldah  R.  Whitraor& 

Nobleborough. 
Phin.  Pillsbuhy 

Livermore. 
John  Haines 

tlarpswelu 
John  Snow 

Portland* 
Samuel  Rand 
Thomas  B.  Ripley 
Mark  Harris,  Esq. 
Justin  Kent 
Cotton  Owen 
Joseph  Noble 
Dea.  Benjamin  Ilesley 

Scarborough. 
Lebeus  Blossom 

Buxton. 
Nathan  Elden,  Esq. 
David  Smith 
E.  G.  yaughn,  Esq. 
Capt.  D.  Appleton,  Jv^ 

South  Berwick. 
Joshua  Chace 
Josiah  W.  Seaver,Esq. 

Hollis. 
Simon  Lock 
Jesse  Lock,  Esq. 

Lee. 
John  Osbokne 

Walls. 
Joshua  Roberts  S 
Joseph  Eaton 

MASSACHUSETTS. 
Boston. 
T.Baldwin,  D.  D. 
Daniel  Sharp 

J,  M.  WlNCHBlI. 


55^ 

Thomas  Paul 
Col.  Tho.  Badi^er 
Dea.  Jacob  filler 
Dea.  Heman  Lincoln 
Thomas  Harii« 


Subscribers*  Names, 

Robert  Wilson 
Zeba  Ciisliiiig 
David  k*.  Pray 
Elizabeth  VVhiston 
Moses   Had  ley        3 


Atheitoi)  T.  Penninian  Wai.  Hammond 


Ward  Jaciisou 
Amos  Sumner 
John  Ford 
Christopher  Porter 


John  New  hall 
Isaac  Child 
Luther  Felton 
Tho.  G.  Farnsworth 


J.  Griggs  and  Brother  Elijah  Mears 
Samuel  Jepaon,  Jr.         Edmond  Parsons 


William  Everett 
John  Tuckerman 
Samuel  S.  Davis 
Catharine  Hiller 
Phebe  Bailey 
Nathaniel  Haws 
Samuel  Hood 
John  White 
Joshua  Loring 
Thomas  Blake,  Jr. 
Edward   Lathrop 
Silvanus  Andrews 
Tristram  Vose 
Cushing  Bailey 
Nathaniel  Fessenden 
Solon  Jenkins 
Davis  Jenkins 
David  Cooiidge 
John  Cooiidge 
John  Richards 
Joshua  Mixter 
John  Leonard 
Calvin   Lathrop 
John  F.  Low 
Wra.  Graves 
Wm.  M.  S.  Doyle 
Ezra  Hawkes 
Wm.  D.  Allison 
Seaver  &  Smith 
Samuel  Adams 
Amos  Blood 
Amos  Fisher 
Furber  Kemp 
Anthonv   Martin 
John  Bentlev 
James  Fitzgerald 
Eben.  Hill 
Thomas  Wightman 
John   Elliot 
B<ni.  Kimball 
Edward  Smith 
Stillman  Willis 
John  Jones 
Sam.  Hill 


Samuel   Beal 

Mather  Walker 

Abel  Baldwin 

Daniel  Allen 

Edward  fV.  fVheelock 

Jaiues  Parsons 

James  Easton 

Tho.  V.  Dillaxoay 

Wm.   Bittle 

Isaac  Butterfield 
Cambridge. 

Samuel  Kidder,  Jun. 

Wm.  Hovey 

Ben.  Clark 

S.  G.  Shipley 

Tho.  Sanderson 

Robert  Fuller 

Alpheus  Dunbar 

Daniel  Stone 

Calvin  Morse 

William  Gray 

A. Winchell, HartJ.Co/. 
Charftstoivn, 

Oliver  Holden 

William  Arnold 

Davitl  Fosdick 
Abigail  Carter 
James  Fosdick 

John  Murray 
Gideon  Foster 
Ciiarles  Foster 

Dorchester. 
William  Hunjphreys 

Milton. 
Jason  Hou<hton 

Salem. 
Thomas  Carlisle 
Lucius    Boi.les 
Joshua   LTpham 
Jonathan  Farnara 
Samuel  Randall 
Samuel  BiQwn 
John  Clark 
P.  Dod^e 


Robert  Upton 
George  Bowditch 
Niles  Tilden 
M.  Shepard 
Stephen  Shenard 
Robert  Cogswell 
Jacob  Read,  Jr. 
Eben.  Secomb 
Gideon  Hatch 
Jonathan  Webb 
W.  Store 
John  W.  Smith 
Ralph  Hall 
Sainon  Shiellaher 

Beverly. 
N.  W.  Williams 
Capt.  Jona.  Dodge 
David  Woodberry 

John  Edwards,  Jr, 

Reading. 
Lilley  Eaton 

Lynn. 
George  Phippen 

Robert  Robinson 
Danvers. 

Jeremiah  Chaplin 

Stephen  Whipple 

John  Putnam 

Samuel  Goodridge 

Brigs  D.  Reed 

Benjamin  Kent 
Woburn, 

Samuel  Abbot 

John  Field 

Andover, 

Henry  Poor 

Haverhill, 

Reuben  Currier 

Cutting  Moody 

Wm.  Chace 

A.  W.  Hammond 
Methiien. 

C.  O.  Kimball 

Dea.  Daniel  Fry 

Jonathan  Swan 

George    Barker 

Alpheus  Bod  well 

Richard    V\  hittier 
East  Kingston. 

Henry   Gale 

JSewbury  Port, 

Peter  Morse 

Joseph  Lane 

Ipstcich. 

William  Taylor 


Wenluim. 
Dea.  ISicli.  Oodge 
Capt.  N.  Dodge,  Jun. 
Ben.  tdwards 

Neiivton. 
Solomon  Richards 
Reuben  Sione 

Watert'Jtjcn. 
Josiah  Coolidge 
Josiali  Sione 
Nathaniel  Stone 
Medjield. 
William  Gammell 

Canton. 
Lenouel   duller 

Sharon. 
Jer.  Ricliards,  Jr. 

iVreutham. 
Jonathan  Shepard 

Foxboro^ 
Warren  Bnd 
Martin  Torrey 

Aitlehoro' 
Steph.  S.  Nelson 
Eben.  Da-j^u;ett,  Esqr. 

Seekhonk. 
Capt.  Allen  Cole 
Dea.  David   Brown 
William  Hammond 
Abel  Cooper 
Dea.  Samuel  Brown 
Jonn  Brown 
Capt.  L.  Carpenter 
Benjamin  (Chandler 

Stvaiisei/. 
Abner  Lt-vvis 

Piiifiton. 

BARTLbir    l^  ASE 

Worcester. 

JONATBAN    (aOiNG 

Elias  Mc.  Gregory 
Thompson  Kimberly 
Eliza  Stone 
William  Manning 
Luke  Rice 
Hannah  Fla^j; 
Ward. 
Isaac  Dwinel 

Shreicshury. 
John  11.  How 
Josiah  Mivnard 
Maj.  F.  H.i-rinv^ton 

Luni'nhurii;. 
Capt.  W.  Harriugtoa 

Sutton. 
James  Me.  Clallon 


ouoscnoers   i^avies. 

Timothy  Gleason 

H  e.sthorough. 
Lydia  Ha^Urll 

Stnrbridgc. 
Joshua  Fisk 
David  Fisk,  Esqr. 
Daniel   Fisk 
Dea.  John  Phillips 
Capt.  Simeon  Fisk 

Dudleif. 
Dea.  Steph.  Bartlett 

Chester. 
Silas  King.-ley 
John  Grant 
Dr.  Martin  Phelps 
Samuel  Bell 

3ndd  It  field. 
Abraham  Jack-on 
Dea.  Jolm  ISe'.ston 
Matthew  Smith,    Esq. 
Solmion   Root 
Calvin  Smith 

Springfield, 
Roswell  I.ee 

Westfield. 
Jabez  Otis 

Oswego  Falls. 
Richard  F alley 

Montgomery. 
Aaron  Parks,  Esq. 

Beckct. 
Ben.  Wadsworth 
Dea.  S.  Wadsworth 
Lydia  Wadsworth 
Eliada  Kingsley 
(iranville. 
Silas  Root 

Sander  sjield, 
Uriel  Smith,  Jr. 
Caleb   Burt 
Joseph  (t.    Parsons 

Psew  Marlhorongli. 
JliSSi'   II  ak TW»-  LL    8 

Egre  Mont. 
Joshua  M ilia: d 
Daniel  Sherwood 

Rochester. 
Joseph  Punngton 
Seth  \'ose 
Dea.  B.  Brva  it 
A.  iJ>ilin»'-,Co!/M.flf  Zatu 

Middlehorough. 
Dea.  Elislia  Clark 
M.  H.  Peiice 
Job  Sherman 
Samuel  Wood 

70 


S52, 

Freetotiv. 
A.T.  Ch.  k,  1  Ost-M. 

Buri!Slab>e. 
George  L<.vtii 

Dennis. 
Capt.  J.lnu■^  i  Jovvn 
Dea.  Arc!  .  1  i^ker 

Harwich. 
Jam^s  Barnaby 
Phillip  Mcktrs.  n 
Capt.  Job  C'i'v*,  Jr. 
Isaiah  t.  i.as.  ,  Esq. 

hreicstcr. 
Reube:.  S(;..s 

y  arvumth. 
Sl.^^i•.(l^  v  c  .vvt  ll 

NEW    HA  Ml-:  HI  RE. 
Brentwood. 
Dea.  E<lw;iid  Tuck 

Fxeter. 
John  F.  Mos.s 
Beiijaioui  Ho\r 

Hump  ton  Falls. 
Mr.    b.wi.e 

Lon'i.oii  Derry. 
Caleb  (ioodwin 
Petit  am. 
Capt.  Josii).    (Jiige 

hew  f'own. 
David  'J  ukksbury 

VERMONT. 
Middlebun/. 
Nath.  Kkmmmck 

hoci.iui^l.ani. 
Joseph  h  lmot    7 
John  Sniiih. 

'  Andootr. 
ARCHtLAUs  Putnam 

Brandon. 
John  Couaiit,  Esq.  3 
Dm.  Jon;i.  IMer.iam 
Isaac  JMernanj 

Cornwall. 
IUnrv  Grekne 
L}<iia  Allen 

J'at'ton. 
Dea.  S(i"ir     i     rriss 

liimt!iigiijn. 
David  P.  Sl'el.oa 

RHOI/i:  ISLAND. 
Providence. 
SxEPtlt.N   Gano 

LiJTHt.R  Baker 
W.  Thayer,  Jun. 


554 

Stephen  A.  Aplin,  Jr. 
Nathan  Waterman,  Jr. 
Ben.  C.  Grafton 
Richard  Salisbury 
Charles  Hastings 
John  Clemmons 
Lutht-r  Bushee 
Joshua  H.  Langley 
Simon  Dean 
John  F,  Tucker 
S.  Eddy,  Esq.Sec'ri/ 

of  State. 
Nicholas  Brown,  Esq. 
Thomas  P.  Ives,  Esq. 
Seth  Luther 
Alfred  Arnold 
Joseph  Martin 
Eben.  Nelson 
Sanmel  Ciark 
Wm.  J.  Doyle 
John  Calder 
Joshua  Godfrey 
Russell  Wilkinson 
Isaac  Peck 
Bernon  Helme 
Daniel  Hale 
Susanna  Rosario 
Betsey  Hammond 
Tho.  W.  Thayer 
Amelia  S.  Townsend 
John  B.  Nickerson 
B.  Hetherington 
John   Peterson 
Newport. 
Romeo  Elton 
Pawtuxet. 
Bela  Jacobs 
E-reter, 
William  Green 
Jer.  Y.  North  up 

North  Kingston, 
George  Chadsey 
Wickford. 
Benjamin  Fowler 
William  Reynolds 
Nath.  J.  Sherman 
William  Hammond 
Daniel  Spink 
Joseph  Key n olds 

South  Kingston. 
Elislia  N.  Gardner 

Hopkinton. 
Matthew  Stillm AN 
Abraham  Coon 
Thomas  Wells 
Russell  Wells 


Hon.  Dan.  Babcock 

Westerly. 
Albert  Still  man 

Coventrt/, 
Caleb  Waterman 
Smithfield, 
Thankful   Baxter 
George  Grafton 
Gloucester. 
Daniel  Tourtellot 
Hon.  Samuel  Wlnsor 
James  Fermer,  Esq. 
Arnold  Brown,  Esq. 

Warren. 
Silas  Hall 
Roba  Nimmo 
Doct.  Dan.  Barrus 

Bristol. 
Barnabas  Bates 
Joshua  Peek 
Dea.  C.  Shaw 
Doct.  L.  W.  Briggs 
Jeremiah  Munroe 
Samuel  Coggeshall 
Paivtucket  Sf  Vicinity. 
O.  Starkweather,  Esq. 
William  Allen 
Otis  Walcott 
Capt.  B.  S.  Walcott 
Dea.  R.  Kent,  Jun. 
Uriah  Benedict 
Isaac  Wilkinson 
Bosworth  Walker 
Amos  Read 
Daniel  Green 
Capt,  J.  Weeden 
George  F.  Jenks 
Comfort  Barrow3 
David  Cummings 
Samuel  Bowen 
Ebenezer  Ide 
Lewis  Kent 
Arnold  Bates 
Ephraim  Jenks 
Ben.  B.  Pierce 
Maj.  Eben.  Tyler 
Dea.  Ichabod  Taber 
Isaac  Taber 
Joseph  Hood 
A.  A.  Tillinghast 
Joseph  Wheelock 
Thomas  Carpenter 

CONNECTICUT. 

Thonifi^on. 

Parson  Cros8BY 


Dea.  Jesse  Belles 
Abel  Jacobs 
Asa  Jacobs 
Dea.  Lemuel  Knap 
William  Smith 
Israel  Com  stock 
Charles  Bobbins 
Malory  Lawrence 
Sarah  Avery  Gay 
E.  Seagrave  &  Co.      £! 
Nathan  Wood 
James  Hill 
Abner  Plumer 
Dea.  Thomas  Day 
Silas  Smith 
Dea.  James  Wheaton 
Elizabeth  Allen 
Jeremiah  Olney 
Simeon  Allen 
Silas  Brindy 
Fanny  Green 
Thomas  Chapman 
Elliot  Carpenter 
Woodstock. 
Nicholas  Branch 
John  Truesdall 
Jos.  W.  Green  &  Lyon 
Christopher  Allen 
Henry  Wells,  Jun. 
Thomas  Bugbee 
Walter  Johnson 
Henry  Howard 
Benja.  Chamberlain 
Dea.  Paul  Corbin 
As^a  Morse 
Ziba  Covell 
George  Seagrave 
Southhridge. 
George  Angell 
Doct.  R.  Harrington 
Ephraim  Bacon 
Joshua  Vinton 
Pom  fret, 
Dea.  W.  H.  Manning 
Robert  Aplin 
Israel  Hicks 

KiUingly. 
Arba  Covell 
Capt.  John  Stone 

Ashford. 
Timothy  Allen 
Union. 
David  Corhln 
Sam'l  Crawford,  Esq. 


Sterling, 
Amos  Wells 

Lebanon. 
Dr.  Ezekiel  Skinner 

Colchester. 
Alexandt-r  Minard 

Preston. 
GusTAvus  F.Davis 8 

Lisbon, 
Caleb  LIkad 

Norwich. 
Dewj'  Brumley 
Lucretia  Hatch 

Stonington. 
E.  Chesebohough 
Elnathaii  Fellows 
Adam  Miner 

North  Stonington. 
Saniuel  Chapman 
Dr.  Thomas  F.  Wells 

New  London. 
Nehemiah  Dodge 

Waterford. 
Francis  Darrow 
George  Williams 
Jason  Beckwith,  Jun, 
Jonathan  Caulkins 
Jeremiah  Lester 
Jason  Beckwith 

Lyme. 
Asa  Wilcox 
Elisha  Way 
Peter  Comstock 
Mehitable  Spencer 
Dea.  John  Beckwith 
Joel  Loomis 
Joshua  Griffing 
]Vathan  Stark 
AVilliam  Palmer 

East  Haddam, 
Oliver  Atwood 
Jeremiah  Burgcs 
Midd/etown. 
William  Bailey 
Jacob  Roberts 
Daniel  Griswold,  Esq. 

Tolland. 
Augustus  Bolles 
Calvin  Willey 

Hartford. 
Elisha  Cushman 
Caleb  Poud 
William  Rice 
Theophilus  Howel 
Jesse  Savage 


Subscribers^  Names. 

Jeremiah  Brown 
William  S.  Deming 
Charles  Sears 
Thuston  Crane 
William  Quiner 
James  Hadlock 
Aaron  Rand 
Charles  Loomis 
Hylas  Stiles 
Ebenezer  Moore 
H.  Huntington,  Esq. 

Windsor. 
William  Soper 

East  fVindsor. 
Buckley  Watfrs 
Eliada  Blakesley 
Alexander  King 
James  Bancroft 

East  Hartford. 
Capt.  James  Brown 
David  Bidwell 
Elisha  Andrews 

Suffield. 
Ben  NET  Pepper    8 
AsAHEL  Morse     i6 
Moses  Austin 
David  King 
Capt.  Seth  Phelps 
Samuel  Sheldon 
Samuel  Hastings 
Daniel  Bestor 

Bolton. 
Henry  Scovell 

Vernon. 
Levi  Dort,  Jun. 
Colebrook. 
Samuel  Griswold,  Jun. 
Timothy  Babcock 
IV  allingford. 
Samuel  Miller 
Sed;;evvick  Rice        8 
Ward  Johnson 
Caleb  Ives 

Northford. 
Capt.  Stephen  Smith 

New  Haven. 
G.\Y.^o\\e^,]Mcd.Stu. 
James  H.  Linsley       7 

Yale  College  j 
R.  P.  Williams,  do. 
Benjamin  F.  Heald 
William  Barth 
Dea.  John  B.  Davis 
Anthony  H.  Sherman 
Marquis  Kussel 


sss 

Guy  C.  Marsh 
William  Green 
E.  Gorham 
Joel  D.  Hendrick 

Huntington. 
Col.  Agur  Juilbon 
David  Bennett 
Oxjord. 
George  Bennett 
Newton. 
John  Sherman 
Richaid  Beimet 
INehemiah  Gillet 
Luther  Harris 

Soutlibury. 
Amos  Phut 

New  Canaan. 
Capt.  Stephen  Hoyt 
]\oah  Weed 
Carey  XA'^eed 
Watts  Comstock       5 

Stanford, 
Henry  Hoyt 
Green  leaf  S.  Webb 
Andrew  Mead 
Solomon  Clawson,  Jr. 
Dea.  D.  Lock  wood,  Jr. 

Bedford, 
Jonathan  Mills 

NEW  YORK. 
New  York. 
Wm.  Parkinson 
Johnson  Chase 
Archib'ldMc.Clay 
John  Stanford 

John   W  ILLIAMS 

Hon.M.  B.Tallmadge 
Mount  Pleasant. 

Jacob  H.  Brouner 

Dea.  Caleb  Willis 
Phillips  Town. 

William  Smith 

Josiah  Mc.  Keel 
Poughkeepsie. 

Lewis  Leonard 

William  Mills 

David   Burton 

Samuel  Bowne 

Dea.  Daniel  Williams 

William  W.  Mead 

Alfred  Raymond 

John  Forbus 

Gion  A.  Pease 

James  W^ilson 


55^ 

FhliMIL 
A.iron  Sluite 

Mnrlhorou^h. 
Aauun  Pvkkins 

Hudson. 
jAMKh  <i     (  )tiILVIE 
H    ■..-,    FaMif 
M  'I'latD  Foster 
Joint  NorniHii 
!:<■:. |a, I. Hi  p.  Smith 
Anna  A!l«^n 
Esther  Smith 

HUisdale. 
Richard  Latiiutr 
GrfenviUe. 
William  Si  iart 

Albany. 
F'i<"iirl  Huiuplirey 
J     A     Burk 
J   sliua  Tinker 
Jiiue^  E.  Seamans 
J()>e|)h  Annalile 
John  L.  Ciark 
Epliraiin  Howard 
David  Morris 
William  Adams 
"W.  H.  Spy  more  &  Co 
Salem  Dutcher 
Halxev  Woodruff 
Benjamin  Het  ly 
Benjamin  Jenkins 
Alexander  Forbs 
Dver  Lathrop 
Ellenor  Mc.  Dole 
Haiinah  Spencer 
Wealthy  Spencer 
Wm.  Carpenter 
Troy. 

CllARLKS  G.   SOMERS 

Ezra  iVl.  Benedict 
Aii'^tis  Tilus 
Saran  Liviuuston 
Dea.  Silas  Covell    2 
Josiah  Converse       2 
Hephzd)ah  Wilson 
Consider  White 
Wm.  MoreliOHse 
D:-H.  Tho.  Sh elding 
Isaac  Powelson 
Stephen  Selleck 
Dea.  James  Henderson 
Joshua  Harpura 
Henry  Faxon 
Calvin  Warner 
Bojicr  Kinsr 


Subscribers*  Names, 

John  Trnsi'ell 
Isaa''  Lovejoy 
Isaac  Ay;ers 
A\  m.  A.  \^  est 
Geortje  Lent 
Asa  Shtldoi) 
Anson  Tuthill 
And-e**  Hemphill 
James  &  Cornell 
Simeon  Snjilh 
Joseph  Hastii  ms 
Lewis  G.  Dole 
A.  Allen 
ISathaniel  Smith 
Lester  Eardslei 
!SclioiUtck» 
SrVPHKN  Olmstead 
John  Hams 
Howiand  Shearman 
Betsey   AlWerton 
Chatham. 
Joel  Cliampion 

Kinderhouk. 
Nathaniel  Mead 

jy  assail. 
Henry  Tucker 
diaries  Williams 
Cliarles  Brown 
Enos  M.  AVoodward 

Stephentown. 
Joseph  Rogers 

Greenbush. 
John  P.  Cole 

Orauge. 
Adams  Philo 
Tertullus  Frost 

Waterford. 
Ezekiel  \\  hitiey 

C'/iflon  Park. 
William  Groom 
Abijah  Pk(  k 

Ballston. 
John  Lee  8 

Gal  way. 
Joseph  Cornlll  8 

Oppenham. 
Timothy  Carpenter 
Dea.  Eldad  KiKI.e 
Randal  Hewit,  Esq. 

Bristol. 
Solomon  CioodaleB 
Jedidiah  Sayer 

Jerusalem. 
Elnathan  FHnch 


Benton. 

AMOs(    li,vj,K 

G>  rham. 
Asahel  i^^or^e 
Lemuel  Moise,  Esq. 
Daniel  W  hite 
Avon. 
David  Farm  an 

t'ahandagua. 
Reuben  lian,  Esq. 

Salisburi/. 
Dea.  Jonathan  Cole 
T.  Loomis,  Esq. 
A  eupurt. 

EBf.NtZb.R  ^  IN  ING 

Benjamin  Howen,  Esq. 

Fairjield. 
John  Eatoii,  Esq. 
Job  Arnold,  E.sq. 
Charles  Arnold 
John  \\  hitman 
Robert  INorton 
Herkmer. 
Samuel  Dexter 
Schuyler. 
Amos  Siniih 

Deerjield. 
O.  Eddy 
O.  Biddlecoro 
Utica. 
Nancv  ^^  hippie 
Whitesborough. 

EloN   (iALUSHA  8 

Whitestoivn. 
Calkb  Douglass  8 
Jehiel  V\'etmore 
Robert  Whipple 
Ann  P.  Clark 
Uriah  Alverson 
Dea.  Asher  Wetmore 
Doct.  C.  Babcock 
Thomas  R.  Palmer 
D'H.  Abel  Uilcox 
\\  m.  Goodwin 
Paris, 
Joiseph  Munger,  Esq. 
Harvey  Eastman     8 
Joseph  Eastman,  Esq. 

Savgerpeld. 
Isaac  Ferr} ,  Jr.  Esq. 
Humility  Stafford 
Col.  David  Norton 
Col.  Samuel  Smith 

Madison. 
Dea,  Prince Spooner  8 


Eaton, 
Dea.  Smith  Dunham 
Dr-a.  Aioswf-U  Laiub 
Mon.  Bc^MMt  Bicknel' 
Danifl  Hatch 
Di^a.  John  West 
Joseph  Warren 
D>a.  S.  Dushall 
Chester  Pa.  k 
David  Blackslee 
Dea,  Charles  W.HnW 

Nelson . 

IV'ATHAM    Pi  CK 

James  Whkilkr 

Simeon  Dntchin 
Jacob  Smitli,  Esq. 
Joseph  Card 
Wm.  Johnson 
Epl)r;«iai  Malory 
Eunetia   Bieknall 
Eiias  Hutnplirey 
Smith  Dexter 
Cyril  Greene 

C'azenocia. 
RosWi  LL  Bkckwith 

JOSKPH  CoLbY 

John  PhtK  8 

James  Niokerson 
Duplissis  Nash 
J.  Worden 

Dea.  Benjamin  Vergil 
Edward  Parker 
Cap.  Jonatlian  Farnam 
E pi)  rami  Tillotson 
Oliver  Parker 
Ahner  Sweetland 
Puinpei/  Sf  Fabiita. 

KaTHAN    BAKi.ft      8 
Geor-e  Pettit  &     > 
James  Pettit  j 

ISathaniel  Benedict 
Lewis  Rood 
Joseph  Atwell 
Ebenezer  Wright 
Joseph  Rood 
Col.  E.  St.  John 
Aaron  Benedict  &  Co. 
Caleb  Peirce 
Lisle. 
John  Parker 
Samuel  Torry 

Delphi. 
Obed  Warren  8 

James  Pettit,  M.  D. 
D.  J.  Caswell,  Esq. 


Subscribers*  Names. 

Elisl.a  Litchfield,  Esq. 
.lohn  Grodavent 
Chapman  Adams 

Hamilton. 
Danikt  H  ask  el 
Doct.  T.  Roi;trs 
Elijah  Benedict 
L  "j.  Reynolds 
Jiid'^e  Samuel  Payne 
Dea.  J.  Olmstead 
Daniel  Smith,  Esq. 
Tl'omas  ('ox 
Elijah  Payne,  Esq. 
Joseph  Colwell 
TS'Coph's  Pierce,  Esq. 
Hon.  Samuel  Payne  8 

Sullivan. 

JOKL  BUTI.KR 

Hon.  Naihaniel  Cole 
John  Joslyn 
Jason  Groton 

Cicero. 
Eli  Gaoe,  Esq. 

Deriu/ter. 
Hon.  H.  Smith 

Skaneateles. 
A.  M.  I>eebe,  Esq. 

Homer. 
Alfrkd  Ben  net 
Hon,  John  Keep 

Geniian. 
.To  UN  Law  TON 
Hon.  E.  Wakeley 

Sherburne. 
Isaac  Allkrton 
Capt.  Samuel  Ladd 
Doct.  James  Sheffield 
Lieut.  John  Benton 
Dea.  Cyrus  Lyon 
Ezekiel  St.  John 
Benjamin  Lyon 
Daniel  Hammond 
•lames  Anderson 
Jacob  Rees 

Columbus. 
Wm.  BuRcn 
David  Calkin 

Burliui^ton. 
Jonathan  Svvket 
Dea.  B.  Harriiinton 
Lydia  Sewell 
David  A.  Kinney 
Abraham  Allis 
Benjamin  S.  Kinnej- 
Wm.  E.  Palmer 


5S7 

Eilmerston, 
Stepiikn  Taylor 

-/^  etc  Lisbon. 
Moses  Wares         2 
Solomon  (Gardner 
Fiteh  &  Patten- ill 
.Daniel  Commiiis 
Capt.  Daniel  Eldred 
S.'th  Gretfory 
Jonathan  Gardner 
Uriah   Grep^ory 
Hezekiah  Gie^'ory 
Thomas  Benedict 

Linire)is. 
Sam.  \\  akelield,  Jr. 
Doct.  Ezra  U'indsor 
John  Blood 

Lraukliii. 
Daniil  I^obinson  8 
Al)ijah  Seeley 

Hart  wick. 
John  Bostwick      8 
David  Kendal 
Comfort  Cooke 

Cooper  stoicn. 
John  l^uce 

Otsego. 
Dea,  George  Holt 

Spi  ingjield. 
Calvin  Hulbert 
Dea.  Starlin  \^'ay 

Brookfield. 
Pliny  Maynard 
Daniel  Main 

Duanesburg. 
Wm.  Her  rick  * 

O'eemcich. 
Edward  Barber  2 
Samuel  Heath,  Jr. 
Join)  Barnard 
John  Herrins^ton 
Mordecai  Bull 
Caleb  V^' right    - 
Lydia  Mowry 
A.  Folsom,  Esq. 

Hoosick. 
Jolin  Ryan 

Cliarleston. 
Elijah  Herrick 
Danbi/. 
Pliineas  Spaulding 

Henderson. 
Emery  Osgood 
]">lihu  Shepherd 
Dea.  Korthup  Jones 


558 

Doct.  Noah  Tnbbs 
L.  Salisbury,  Ei^q. 
Jesse  Hopkins,  Esq. 

Denmark^ 
Peleg  Cakd 
Elijah  Chuk 

ElHsburi(h. 
Martin  E.  Cook 
Joshua  Freeman 

Rodman. 
Joseph  Mai.bey 

Mexico. 
Enoch  Kkuris 
Lorrain, 
Solomon  Johnson 

Brotvvville. 
Sardis  Little 
O  Baitholoiuew 
Isaac  Oliiey 

Rutland. 
Elisha  Mokgan 
Palmer  Cross 
Watcrlown. 

MATTHbW  VVlLKEY 

James  Beard 

Sackefs  Harbour. 
Edmoud  Luff 

Norwich. 
Jeoidiah  Randall 
Phillip  Cook 
J.  Ttiorapson,  Esq. 
?«iicholas  Brown 
Ch.  Randall 
Gurdin  Matliewson 
John  Merrihew 
Alfred  Warren 
John  B.  Johnson 
Col.  John  Randall 
JS'orth  Norwich. 
Jonathan  Ferris  8 
Elijah  Buel 
Jonathan  Dan 
Ephraira  West 
Thomas  Francis 
Isaac  U.  Wheeler 
Coggeshall  Wall 
Aaron  Cook 
Maj.  J.  K.  Pike 
John  Mead 
Dea.  Israel  Ferris 
Neiv  Berlin. 
Samuel  Burrill 
James  Derthick 

Oxford. 
Hiel  Tracy 


Subscribers    JSames. 

Plymotith. 
Dea.  Jauies  Piirdy 
James  Purdy,  Jun. 

Smyrna. 
Samuel  Kelsy,  Esq. 

JLehation. 
Amos  Iving^ly 
Thomas  Jeril 
Enoch  Stowel 
Russcl. 
Anthony  C.  Brown 

Malone. 
Isaac  Sawyer 
Almoa  Wheeler,  Esq. 

Scifiio 
P.  Kel-ey  3 

Zadock  Batenan,  Esq. 
John  Beardsiey,  Esq. 
Hull  Taylor 
Daniel  VVinchcll 
H.  L.  Hewitt 
James  StandifT 
Ebenezer  Smith 
Peter  Law  son 
Amos  Hutchinson 
Joel  Coe,  jun. 
Barnabas  Sears 
Genoa- 
Capt.  John  Owen 
Auii;ustus  Taber 
Samuel  Hewit 
Mentz. 
John  Jefferies 

Ovid. 
Minor  Thomas 
Schuyler  Jagger 
Lewis  Porter 

Ulysses, 
Flon.  O.  C.  Comstock 
D.  A.  Baicom 

Oivasco. 
Elkanah  Comstock 
William  Price,  Esq. 

Virgil. 
\Vm.  W.  Powers 

Dryden. 

William  Miller 

JHalniyra. 

Jeremiah  Irons 


NEW  JERSEY. 
JVeivark. 
David  Jones 
Edward  J  one* 


Jabez  Pool 
James  Jones 
Thcnias  Huichings 
John  Ransiey 
G.  Ho')(ley 
C.  Hedenberg 
John  Gardner 
James  Beach 
Nicholas  Jones 
Job  Bacon 
Albert  Terhune 
Peter  L.  Donaldson 
Jeremiah  Genung 
John  Cowlam 

Scotch  Plains. 
Thomas  Browm 
Dennis  Coles 
Dea.  J.  B.  Osborn 
Capt.  D.  Osborn 
Plainjield. 
John  Manning 

J\~ew  Market. 

Nath.  Hotiom 

Piscataivay. 

J.  Mc.  Laughlin 

Isaac  F.  Randolph 

Dea.  Ben.  Manning 

Dea.  Hez.  Smith 

Samuel  Stelle 

Peter  Runyan,  jun. 

Abel  Stelle 

Dea.  G    Drake 
Sam  fit  01071. 

Isaac  MuUison 

Ciiris.  Lupardus 

Wm.  Lupardus 

Dea.  D.  F.  Randolph 

Drake  Dunn 

Dea.  R.  Runyon 
JV.  Brunswick. 

Richard  Lupardus 

Peter  Dayton 

John  Bray 

Alotitgomery. 

Nathan  Stout,  Esq. 
Ih/iewell. 

Daniel  Stout 

Joiiciti  an  Hint 

J.mes  Hunt 

Cornelius  Larison 

James  Huntsman 
Princeton. 

J.  Price,  Siud.  o/Div. 


Lawrence. 
John  Welling 
Trencon. 
Wm.  Bos  well 
Wm.  (^ould  ■  8 

Burlington. 
S.  C.  Ustick,  Post  M. 
V.  Value  . 
John  Coburn 
Andrew  Campbell 
Robert  Fieldinj^ 

J^eiv  Mills. 
John  Budd 
Dea.  Thomas  Swain 
Alex.  Hancock 
David  Couisou 
Samuel  Jones 

Hanover. 
Joseph  Harris 

Monmouth  County. 
Wm.  T.  Emiey,  Esq. 
Tho.  Sexton,  Esq. 
Eiizalieth  Lloyd 

Middlesex  County. 
Isaac  Ely,  jun. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 
Phii'ade/phiaSf  County 
Wm.  Rogers,  d.  d. 
W.  Staughton,  d.  o. 
J.  Sisi Y 
John  Walker 
Joseph  Maylin 
.J.  M.  Feck 
Samuel  Bucknall 
James  Bucknall 
Samuel  Cornelius 
\\\  H.  Richards 
Wm.  Britten 
John  Greoory 
Lewis  Baldwin 
John  Welsh 
John  Gours 
John  Adams 
G.  Helmbold 
R.  P.  Anderson 
W.  S.  Hansel  I 
John  Mustin 
Edward  Mitcliell 
C.  F.  Rea;nault 
Hetty  Morton 
John  Perham 
John  Mc.  Loud 
l>avid  G.  Bustal 


Subscribers^  Names. 

Frankford. 
Wm.  Wilson 

Thninns  Gillery 
John  Roier 

]\Iouli>onicri/. 
Silas  Hough 

Bucks  Counti/. 
Enos  Morris,  Es'q. 
Thomas  Dungan 
Griffith  Miles 

IVarminster, 
Ann  Hart 
Lot  Search 

Southampton, 
Doct.  Joshua  Jones 

More/and. 
Jonathan  Potts 

Loire?'  Dubfin. 
Joshua  Jones,  Esq, 
Wm.  Maa;hee 
AVin.  Bartolett 
Thomas  Holme 
John  Run 

Roxlmnj. 
Tho.  Fleeson 
Mary  G.  Jones 
Charles  Levering 

Germantoxvn, 
Charles  Pierce 

Southhampton. 
Tho.  B.  Monianye 

Montgomery  County, 
Phil  e!i:<s  Phillips 
James  Abraham 
Joseph  Abraham 
Sarah  Knnlles 
John  Moore 
Jona.  Phillipa 
Hannah  L.  Luvellen 
Catherine  Henderson 

Loiver  A/erion. 
Peter  Gilchrist 
G.  M.  Clenachan 
G.  F.  Curwen 
Francis  Selveets 
John  G.  Tivits 
John  Pvighter,  jun. 
Frederick  Bicking 
Wm.  Fisher 
Capt.  John_Ricard 
Titus  Yerkes 
Jacob  Latch 
John  Levering 


55^ 

U/i/ier  Mcrion. 
Mary-Ann  Houseman 
John  Eastburn 

Great    ralley. 
David  Jones 
Thomas  Roberts 
Sara!)  Cornog 
F'noch  Joiics 
Samuel   Jenkins 
George  Beaser,  sen. 
Andrew  Garden 
Gavin  Murchy 
Rad7ior. 
Lemuel  George 
Daniel  Abraham 
Fredyff'rin. 
William  Jones 
Cromwell  Pearce 

East  IVhiie  Land. 
Samuel  Jones 

Chester  Coiinly. 
Charles  Mooke    .2 
John  Gwin 
David  Thomas 
Robert  Frame,  Jun. 
William  Griffith 

Blocklnj. 
Jacob  H.  Smith 
Husquehaiinah  County.. 
Davis  Djmmock 
Job  Dimmock 

Lycoming  County. 
Thomas  Smyley 

Warren. 
Dea.  L,  Jenks 
Ulster. 
Willian^  Curry 
Joseph  Smith 

Smithjlcld. 
Dea.  Samuel  Wootl 
Cambria  County., 
John  J.  Evans 
Benjeimin  Davis 
Andtcw  Berry  hill 
Beulah  Bapt.  Church 

Fayette  County. 
Abner  Kithenhouse 
John  Garee 
Joseph  Thomas 
Jeremiah  Ong 
Francis  Bur.^ess 
Phinehas  Siurgis 
Joseph  Dunn 


560 

Jesse  Arnold 
Anthony  Sv.ain 
Edward  Joidan 
Joseph  Joidan 
Thomas  Todd 
John  Donnelson 
G.  Wintermvite 

Greene  County. 
James  Patten 

IVasliwgtoii  County. 
Charles  Wherleu 
David  Phillips      S 
Thomas  Datam 
Capt.  Hugh  Wilson 
Col.  James  Ruper 
William  Biowa 
Samuel  Hughes 
Henry  Yanaway 
Elisha  Lucock 

Pittsburf^. 
Maj.  Nath'i  Plumer 

Somerset. 
Gen.  Alex  Ogle 

Bea-oer  Toivn. 
Col.  Samuel  Powers 

DELAWARE. 
Christiana  Hundred. 
Th.omas  Baldwin 
Archibald  Amisirong 
Frederick  Tussey 
Wilmingtcn. 
Daniel  Dodge 

Sussex  County. 
Robert  Windsor 
James  (irunby,  Esq. 
Leven  Ricards 
Jacob  Fisher 
John  Willis 

Kent  County. 
Joseph  Windsor 
Thomas  Jackson 
Abel  Jones 
Mary  (iriffin 
Isaac  Hurlock 
Sarah  King- 
Thomas  A.  Rees 
John  Bed  well 


Subscribers^  Na?nes. 

Dorchester  County. 
S.  \Voolford,  Jun. 
Isaac  Meekins 

Carodnc  County. 
E.  SalterKeld,  Esq. 

S'j7ncrset. 
John  Hill  8 

IVorce.fter  County. 
James  Rownd 
Benjamin  Jolinson 
William  B ratten 
G.  L.  Blackvnan 
Peter  Webb 
Joshua  Given 

IVas/iinffton  City. 
Capt.  Samuel  Hilton 

.^Uxatidria. 
John  Paradise 

VIRGINIA. 
.^iccomack. 

I^EVEN  DiX 

George  Northam 
Obadiah  Riggin 
Wm.  Selby 

Fredsrickbu  rg-. 
J.  A.  Ranaldson 
Cummings  &  Symmes  Wm.  Creath 

Caroline  County. 
Andrew  Broaddus 

Richmond. 
J.  Miles 
Wm.  Clrane 


jYutloway   County. 
Capt.  James  Dupuy 
jlinelia   County. 
John  Scurry 

Piisylvania  County. 
David  Nov/lin        S 
John  Jenkins 
James  Watkiiis 
Williams  Echols 
Wm.  Stamps 
Joseph  Carter,  Esq. 
John  Hutchings 
Halifax. 
John  Kerr  10 

Peter  Barksdale         6 
Paul  Street 
Willie  James 
Capt.  Henry  Perkins 
Robert  Jtlkes 
Barti  olomew  Barrow 
Jesse  Powell 
Jacob  Higgs 
Maj.  Rhesa  Reed 
Lieut.  Wm.  Burt 
Joseph  Law 
J\IackH7igder^  County. 
8 
Peter  Bailey,  Esq. 

Frederick  County. 
Thornas  Buck,  Esq. 
James  Sowers 
Wm.  Headlev 


A'>;a^  isr  Queen  County.  Cyrus  B.  Baldwin 
Robert  B.  Semple       Samuel  O.  Hendren 


MARYLAND. 

Baithnore. 
John  Healky 
Lewis  Richards 


A^ir/hlk. 
James  Mitchell 
Portsmouth. 
Doct.  J.  SchooHield 
Matthews  County. 
Wm.  Fitch ett 
Maj.   T.  Hudgins 
James  M.  Vaughn 
Dea.  Wm.  Bohannen 
A.  G.  Cushman,  p.  m. 

Powhatan  County. 
Edward  Baptist 
John  H.  Sieger     2 
Goochland  County 
George    Richardson 

Cumberland  County. 
Joseph  Jenkins 
Pcler  MonUgue 


James  Ireland 
Jacob  Sowers 
James  Mitchell 
John  Hutchinson 
Ohio  CouTity. 
S.  Curtis,  Esq.  8 

Dea.  James  Curtis 
Nalhan  Evans 
George  Mc  Causlan 
John  INL  Morgan 
Joseph  Hedge 
Thomas  Kenny 

Brook  County. 
John  Pritchahd 
JoJin  BrovMi,  Esq. 
Charles  King,  jr. 
\\  m.  Fowler 
Asa  Owings 


Subscribers   Names. 


NORTH    CAROLINA 

AshviUe. 
J.  Whiiaker,  Esq.  25 
Rutherford  Cour.ty. 
BkrhyMon  Hicks  8 
Dkury  Dobbins  8 
Samuel  Baily,  Esq. 
Lincoln   County. 

HOSEA   floLCOMBE     8 

Burke  County. 
Rkuben  Covfee 
Elijah  Chambers 
Smith  Cofiee 
\Vm.  Diction,  Esq. 
Jesse  Moore 
Daniel  Moore,  Esq. 
Elisha  Chambers 
Lieut.  E.  Moore 
John  Gragg,  Esq. 
VViiks  County. 
John  Coffee 
Thomcs  Duvis 
\Vm.  Hulme,  Esq. 
Elijah  Cofiee 
Maj.  Wm    Davenport 

/ifihe  County. 
Jesse  Cofiee 

Rockini^ham. 
George  Roberts 
Rachel  Chiistee 

Casivelt. 
Wm.  Mooke 
David  Lawson 
Anaon. 
'   John  Culpepper 
Hal  fax  County. 
Jesse  Read  8 

WiUiamHton. 
Joseph  Biggs  8 

Murfreenb  orough. 
John  Wheeler,  Esq.  2 
AVm.  B  Cheaiham 
Warren  County. 
Capt.  S\  m.  Bui  t 

near  Jidenton. 
T.  Biownrig.'^,  Esq.   8 

near  Kiivbern. 
Wm.  P.  Biddle         2 


SOUTH  CAROLINA. 
Darlhifcron  Dislrict. 
Wm.  Dossey 
FiiAME  Woods 


John  Ellis 
G.  Bruce,  Esq. 
Hut^h  Lide,  Esq. 
Jrtmes  Lide 
Alex.  Fountain 
John  Fountain 
John  King 
JanR'S  Coleman 
Dea.  E.  Mc.  Iver 
Wm.  Kirven 
Col.  Peter  Edwards 
Dea.  John  Kirven 
Marlborough. 
Doct.  Wm.  Hale 
Gen.  T.  Thomas 
M.^j.  D.  Robertson. 
Mary  Winfield 
James  Fit-lds 
Cnpi  John  Terrell 
Maj.  Wm.  Pledger 
Dea.  Josiali  David 
Thomas  btubbs 
David  Betucd 
T.  H.  'I'homis 
Thomas  Cochran 
Cdtherine  Bedgcgood 
William  Fields 

Chesterfield. 
Sainuel  Pe-us 
David  Goodwin 
S/iartanburgh  Dhtrict 
Wm   Lancaster,  Esq. 
John  I'hornton 
Elijah  Smith 
Aaron  Smith 
Capt   M.  Gaffney 
Gen.  T.  Bonier 

Bartiivell  District. 
Col.  John  Walker 
Maj.  Josiah  Walker 
Capt.  Wm.  Walker 
Wm    Mathany 
Capt.  James  Ganin 
Wm.  H.  Roberts 
Adam  Mc.  Crady 
James  Woodard 
Robert  BrcAvn 
Robert  Wiliis 
Peter  Ussei  y 
Wm.  Mc.  Daniel 
S.  O.  Dow 
Henry  Fe^iIer 
Benjamin  O.  Dow 
71 


501 

GEORGIA. 

Greme  County. 
Jesse  Mekcer       50 
John  Bro^^ning,  Esq. 
Reuben  Ransom,  Esq. 
Barnabas  Pace 
Richard  Asbury 
Redman  Thornton 
Sumue!  S.  Hunter 
Thomas  Leyne 

U  arren  County. 
N.  Robertson      20 
James  (jranade 
Elisha  Pehrim'V.ji 
Winder   Hilmar 
John  Blackstont 
John  P    Mvktin 
De.nis  Lind>ey 
Joseph  Pnillips 

Columbia    County. 
J.dv.i  Wall 
Fiiz  M.  Hunt 
Jolin  Lan.,ston 
Joshua  Whitaker 
Samuel  Whitaker 
John  Monk 
Jacob  Fudge 
Wm.  Pal  more 
John  W.  Smith 
James  N.Brown,  Esq. 
Hen.  W.  Hodge,  Esq. 
Ensha  Walker 
Isaac  Cliatt 
Nancy  Johnson 
Redick  Smis 

Morgan  County. 
F.  Flournoy  8 

Henry.  Harden 
W.  Whatley 
John  Wallace 

Lincoln  County. 
John  H.  Walker,  Esq. 

VViiks  County. 
J.  Robertson 
Wm.  Davis 
James  Armstrong 
George  Willis 
Davis  Ten  ell 
Col.  Richard  WiUis 
Silvanus  Ciib-ion 
Solomon  Stephens 
Wiltiam  W -tts 
Willium  Jones,  Esq. 


562 

Enoch  Collaway 
Tyre  Reeves 
Mat.  W.  Vandiver 

Jefferson    County. 
John  Cowart 
Isaac  Brinson 
■  Jenkins 

Aaron  Low 

PutnamCounty. 
Elijah  Mosely 
Benjamin  Mosely 
John  Davenport 
William  Evans 
"William  Williams 
Randal  Robinson , 
William  T.  Morton 
James  Zachry 
Williain  Riciiards 
Benjii.  Whiiefieid    2 
James  Birdsong 
B.  WJiitefield,  jun. 
Col,  Wm.  Ml  ton 
Fred.  H.  Coi.ner 
John  Collauay 
Tl.o.  Weiborn,  Esq. 
Jonathan  Philips 
T.  H.  Smith, ]mi. 
Jolin  Ashui  vt 
Richard  Pare 
Anthony  HoUnway 
Charles  A.  Dennis 
John  Da-^ei  port 
Moses  Eakin 
Willjam  Eakin 
Philip  Ballard 
William  Walker,  sen 
Doct.  W.  Williams 
Jer.  Cast)el)ury 
P.  F.  F'ouriioy,  Esq. 
Samuel  I^owel 
John  Perry 
Peter  Rcquemorc 
W  illiam  Turner 
E.  Lane,  Esq. 
Daniel  Parnali 
William  Liiiie 
J.  Clark  S 

Hancock  County. 
Ben       hompson     9 
Joseph  Roberts 
Thomas  L  O' per 
Jame'j  1  ho  vuis 
Fred.  G.  Tnrmas 
Reuuen  T.  Battle 


Subscribers'  Names, 

Ibaac  Baltic 

OgLethorfi  County. 

ISHAM   GOSS 

M.  Bledsoe 
Richard  Goolsby 
Isaac  David 
DtiicI  Dupiee 
William  tord 
Nathan  Johnson 
Solomon  Jennins,  Esq. 
Thom  s  Steplieus 
John  J   P.ss 
Jonn  Her.  en 
Gabriel  Jones 
James  Pe;^,  sen. 
Mo  tp!i  Biedsoe 
Zach.  Ellis 
Woody  JackboA 
Ro  .ert  Hagnes 
Jame.  O.  Kelly 

Franklin  County, 
John  Sandige  2 

Littleton  Meeks  2 
Ecimoiid  King 

Jackson  County, 
Edward  Adams 
Thomas  Johnson 
Jaa  es  Rod.ers 
Jan'.es  Mc  Donald 

Eibtrt  County. 
Dozer  '1  hoknton    9 

Madison  Countjj. 
James  Sanders 

Clurk  County. 
Isaiah  Hniles 

Baldwin  County. 
James  B  irrow 
Francis  Boykin 

Jones  County. 
William  Jones 
James  Mt.  Limore 
liiNRY  Hooter 
Edward  Talbot 
Luke  Bond 
Gee;  t;e  Ross 
Jol  n  Miiie'' 
Benjamin  Milner 
William  O shorn 
Jimies  buiiiar 
1  homas  H   Os\vald 
Jesoe  M.  H.  Pope 
Biadiey  Dare 
Joi.n  Davis 
John  Jones'^ 


William  Mc  Limore 
Moicet^ai  Jucoij.j,  Es:q. 

IVashing'on  Coiady. 
Jordan  Smi  ;  h 
B^iNjA.  Manning     16 
Job    i HiGPtN 
Edward  B.ui.tley 
Bcujam/n   Sparks 
Ed>v:ira  Ma\o 
M:rv  GHinar 

l/'-k  n-ion  County. 
Chaah-es  Culpepper 
Ju.n  Murry 
Jolm  Ross 

Burke  County. 
Jahn  Cork 

Louisville. 
Isaac  Ingram 
Charles  J.  Jenkins 
Twifrs  County. 
V.  A   Tharp  8 

Robert  Gienn 

Jasfier  County. 
Chailes  Corgile 
Presley  Dodson 
Jmies  Hamuck 
William  H.  Myles 
Joseuh  Bevers 
Daniel  Mc  Dowel 
John  Armstrong,  Esq. 

Scriven  County. 
Henry  Hand  2 

Thomas  Har.d 
Henry  H.  Hand 
Charles  R.  Nessmith 
John  Mc  Wade 
Geoi  ge  Mc  Ray 
Charles  Mc  Queen 
Arthur  Bl  .nd 
John  Miller 
Daniel  Thompson 
Abram  Mott 
William  Mc  Call 
Richard  Scrags 

Effirigham. 
John  Goldwire 
Benjamin  Alexander 
Wilham  King 

Sun  berry. 
C.  O.  Scriven 
J.  'A.  Cuthhe' t,  Esq. 
Mary  Mc  l.ttosh 
M  vi-  Samuel  Lav7 
Alexander  Mc  Iver 


Subscribers*  Names. 


563 


William  Foster 
Thomas  F.  Bacon 
Spencc  Christopher 

Medivay. 
Thomas  S  Winn 
Peter  Winn,  Esq. 
Oliver  Stevens,  Esq. 
Thomas  Bacon,  Esq. 
James  Phelps 

Riceborough. 
William  Baker 

Ale  In  I  OS  h  County.' 
Capt.  William  Harris 
Thoiiias  Delegal 

KENTUCKY. 

Frankfort. 

Q.  Slaughter,  Lt.  Gov. 

of  Kentucky. 
John  P.  Thomas 
Silas  M.  Noel 
W.  S,  \yaller,  Esq. 
W.  VVooldrige 
Simon  Beckham 

Franklin  County. 
John  Taylor 
John  Price 
Mordecai  Boulvvar 
John  Mc  Donald 
Isaac  Wilson 
John  Paltie 
Si'neon  True 
Thomas  Bradley- 
William  (irai.am 
Robert  Church 
Joseph  Anaerson 
John  D.  Graves 
Thomas  Smith 
William  Feise, 
Thomas  Cox 
Mary  Jackson 

Boone  County. 
Absal-om  Graves   8 
Weden  Sleet 
Landon  Robinson 
C.  Matthews 
William  Montague 
Christoph'r  Wilson 
Robert  Garnet 
Will'm  Thompson 
Benjamin  Watts 
Jameson  Hawkins 
John  Neule 


John  Jones 
William  Hodges 
John  Ryle 
Jan.es  Ryle 
Francis  Cracy 
William  Willis 
John  Sheever 
Robert  Kirtly 
Jan.es  Dicken 
Mark  Mc  P^erson 
Whitefield  Early 
Beverly  Ward 
William  Mc  Coy 
Cave  Montague 
Peter  G   Rungan 
Leonard  Crisler 
Jfne  Cloiide 
John  Terrill 
Abraham  Depew 

Camfibeil  County. 
John  Stephens 
JcHN  Beale 
William  Vickers 
Jeremy  GrifFing 
John  Arnold 
Joseph  Anderson 
John  Griffith 
Samuel  Btlveal 
Joseph  Todd 
John  Reese 
William  Gausney     8 
John  Stonsiler 

Harrison  County. 
Lewis  Conner 
John  Smith 
William  Furnish 
Gen.  W.  E.  Boswell 
Temple  Smith 

Scott  County. 
Thomas  S.  Barkley 
Thomas  Foster 
Capt.  W.  Hubbell 
John  M.  Hewett 
Theodrick  Bouluar 
Larkin  Ferguson 
Henry  Jenkins 
B.  S.  Chambers 

Shelby  Cou7ity. 
Z AC HEUS Carpenter 
George  Waller 
Nicholas  S.  Smith 
Jacob  Tichenor 
Isaac  Norman 


Aaron  Stark 
Joseph  Redman 
Joseph  Stilwell 
G.  Wells,  Senior 
G.  Wells,  Jun. 
Samuel  Tinsley 
Martin  Basket 
Hinson  Hobbs 
James  Davis 
David  White,  JuH. 
•Z.  Wilcox 
John  Hansbtough 
Moaes  Scott 
Iverson  Ware 
Reuben  Dale 

Woodford  County, 
Jacob  Creth 
John  Brown 
Thomas  Bullock 
Samuel  Jesse 
Richard  JeVse 
John  Edwards 
Edmund  Sheep 
Dudley  Mitchum 
Joseph  Collins 
Thomas  P.  Mt^nries 
Cosblow  Dorson 
George  Todd 
Gcoige  Biackbami.  Jr. 
Joseph  Edurston 
John  G.  Hiter 

Fayette  County. 
James  P.  Rucker 
Joshua  Hudson 
David  Hockensmith 
Elihha  Jester 
Thorhpsnn  Cloid 
John  Walters 
Bavid  Baker 

Jessamine  County. 
Levi  Hunt 
James  Baxter 
Judah  Stout 
Skelton  Rutherford 
Jesse  Rutherford 
John  Kay 
Asbery  Amos 
Wm.  Romanes 
Zeph.  Spinner 
Edmond  Kield 
John  Pembcrtan 


5^4 

Lexington. 
David  Hardisty 
Lewis  Taylor 
Enoch  M.  Smith 
Beverly  Pilaur 
John  M.  Merchant 
Robt-n  Be.iuiy 
Benjamin  Siout     8 
James  Fishback 

iMudifiOn  County. 
Benajah  Gentry 
Josiah  Gentry 
Conrad  Cornelison 
Joseph  P.  Letcher 
lAncbln  County, 
John  Davis 
Moses  Foley        8 
Thomas  Hunsford 
Thomas  Hutchiiison 
Thomas  'I'.  Owsley 
Thomas  Mc.  Cury 
Thomas  Davis      8 
John  M.  Smith 
John  Cook 
D.  MiddletoH 
Wm.  Dallam 
Thomas  Hansford 

Caney  Comity. 
Jacob  \\  abinner 
John  Casey, 
Samuel  Coleman 
John  Jones,  jun.       8 

Adiar  Cou7ity. 
John  Ingraham  8 

Mercer  County. 
Wm.  Sturman 
Isaac  Alspaugh 
Zachariah  Smith,  jun. 
Benjamin  Fisher 
George  Williams 

Garrard  County. 
Randolph  Hall 
Gen.  Wm.  Jennings 
Edwin  Porter 
James  Thompson 
A.  Ballinger,  Esq. 
Timothy  Ford 
George  Turner 
William  Edwards 
Asasha  Hudson 
Dr.  Benjamin  Mason 
Isaac  Meeksberry 
Capt.  John  B.  Potter 
Zacharias  Ray 


Subscribers^  Namei, 

William  Duncan 

Nelson  County. 

MoSES  PlERSON  1 1 

Wilham  King  32 
Vv^illiam  May,  Esq. 
Gen.  Adam  Guthin 
Gen.  Joseph  Lewis 
Maj.  Daniel  Lewis 
Permerias  Briscoe 
Alex.  Mc  Dolald  2 
Henry  Gore 

Jej'erson  County. 
Blark  Larnpton 
Edward  Tylor 
Catherine  Reaugh 
Greene  County. 
John  Chandler 
John  Harden 
Isaac  Hodgen 
Robert  Hatcher     }  „ 
Beverly  Caldwell  ^ 

Gallatin  County. 
Joseph  Ward 


TENNESSEE. 
JYashviUe  and  vicinity. 
James  Whitsett 
Patrick  Mooney 
Preistley  Lester 
Joshua  Lester 
John  Wiseman 
Miles  West 
William  Flowers 
WiLTiAM  Dale 
David  C.  Snow 
Doct.  Samuel  Morton 
Payton  Smith 
Benjamin  J.  Ba=s 
Hartwell  B.  Hide 
Edward  Elam 
Thomas  Powell 
John  P.  Irion 
Nathaniel  AVarren 
Wm.  Anthony,  Esq. 
John  D.  Hill 
Joshua  Cutchin 
John  Gamhrill 
Watson  Gentry 
John  Merton 
Nathan  Stancil 
Capt.  Wm.  A.  Sublett 
Joseph  Newman 
Daniel  Elam^ 
D.  Vauffhan 


Peter  Vaughan 
Wm.  ItobertsoH 
Mathew  Haily 
John  Smith 
Peter  Collins 
James  Digernett 
Col.  Thomas  liucker 
G.  Itucker 
Joseph  B.  — 
David  Clark 
John  Bond 
Solomon  Beasley,  Esq. 


MISSISIPPI  TERRI- 
TORY. 

Clairhorne  County. 
JosiAH  Flower 
H.  Harmon,  Esq.   8 
Turner  B.  Brashears 
Edward  Cook 
Joseph  Powell 
Ehsha  Flower,  jr. 
Samuel  Goodwin 
Reuben  White 
Jesse  Hudnell 
Selah  White 
Shem  Thompson 
S.  D.  Carson,  Esq. 
Wm.  Mc.  Alpin 
Joseph  Wilds 
Jonathan  Conger,  Esq. 
Willis  Brazeal 
Doct.  Thomas  Going 
Joseph  Briggs 
Joseph  More,  M.  D. 
Adam  Gordon,  Esq. 
Wm.  Bridges 
Richmon  Suffield 

Jefferson  County. 
T.  O.  Mc.  Donald 
H.  B.  Harrison 
Willis  Mc.  Donald 
Joel  Selman 
Hiram  Baldwin 
Jacob  Segris 

Franl'lin  County. 
Daniel  Cameron 

JVatchez. 
Benjamin  Davis        10 
W.  Snodgrass,  Esq.  22 
George  W.  King     18 


OHIO. 

Jefferson  County. 
Jacob  Martin 


Dunham  Martin 
Joseph  Gladden 
Henry  Shane 
Joseph  Shane 
Solomon  GJadden 
Thomas  Ross 
Mordecai  Cole 

A'ew.  Lisbon. 
Thomas  Rigdon 
Worcester. 
Thomas  G.  Jones 
David  Ki>!Pton 
Maj.  W.  Larwell 
J.  H.  Larwell,  Esq. 
John  Slow,  Esq. 
Yv.  C.  Larwell,  Esq. 
Philip  B.  Griffith 
W.  Rohison,  Esq. 
Chillicotfte. 
John  M.  Laiulhurgh 
Dea.  ^-Tathaniel  Cory 
John  Hellings  2 

Georg'e  JefTeries 
Samuel  Finley 
W.  L.  Maccalla,  Chapl. 

U.  States'"  Army. 
Drayton  M.  Curtis 

Adams. 
Wm.  Lacock,  Esq. 
Dea.  S.  Records      2 
Joh  Haigh 
Abraham  Thomas 
Elisha  Parker 
William  Jacobs 
James  Lawson 
Wm.  Kirkpatrick 
Alanson  Goodwin 

Ross. 
Thomas  Snelson 
William  Snider 
Peter  Jackson,  Esq. 
Charles  Wells 
William  Baker 

Fayette. 
Henry  Boughan 
James  Yowman 

Munroe  Cormty. 
Nathan'l  Skixner 

Mnskincnim  County. 
Henry  Prinarle 
Andrew  Stong-hton 
Lewis  Er»stonhouse 
Adam  Miller 
Adam  Smith 
Henry  Clabaugh 


Subscribers*  Names. 

Maj.  Wm.  Bonnifield 
Dea.  Sam'l  Williams 
Maj.  Tho.  Harper 
James  Rase 
Rue  I  Say  re 
Samuel  Ream 

Licking  County. 
John  W.  Patterson 
Abraham  Boring; 
Jerem'h  Bartholomew 
J.  Haskinson,  Esq. 
Joseph  Sutton 
Solomon  Overturp 
Abraham  Miller 
W^illiam  Debolt 
Vinson  Lake 
Elijah  Nichols 
Martin  Venner 

Zancsville. 
John  Dorsey 
John  Vincent 

Fairfield  County. 
Smith  Goodwin 
Dea.  John  Kelley 
Thomas  Strawn 
Jane  Lobdell 
Jacob  Bonhani 
Peter  Cool 
William  Rees 
Aaron  Ashbrook 
John  Hite 
Mahlon  Petters 
Doct.  Ezra  Terrence 
William  Caves 

Clinton  County. 
Matliew  Callaway 
James  Callaway 
Josiah  Briggs 
Aaron  Oxley 
John  Oxley 

Warren. 
Hezekiah  Stites 
Daniel  Clark 
James  Mc  Manis 
Joseph  Robertson 
Josiah  Lambert 
Benjamin  Daniells 
Peter  Yawger 
Wm.  Chenoweth 
Thomas  Thomas 
Easter  Blackford 
Nathan'l  Blackford 
Ephraim  Blackford 
William  Blair,  Jun 
Amos  Crane 


5^5 

Eliza  Collett 
John  Osborn 
William  Mason 
Joseph  Ta})scott 

Claremont  Comity 
Eben.  Osborn 
Daniel  Manning 
Samuel  Smith 
Jacob  Whitestone 
Jacob  Donham 
Amos  Donham 
Samuel  Morgan 
Andrew  Gray 
Jobn  Donham 
John  Crawford 
Samuel  Tibbets 
Reuben  Lacock 

Green  County. 
Joshua  Carman 
David  Bowen 

Montgomery  County 
John  Mason 
Serring  Marsh 
Wm.  Martin 
John  S.  Wilson 
John  Hutfield 
Samuel  Broadaway 
Abner  Garard 
James  Russell 
Whitely  Hatfield 
Daniel  Wilson 
Benjamin  Archer 
Thomas  Clawson 
Henry  Stansell 
Richard  Stevens 
Thomas  Hatfield 
Owen  Hatfield 
Benja'min  Luce 
Peter  Banta 
Wm.  Luce 
Joseph  Ewing       / 
Reuben  Waggoner 
Joseph  Clark 

J\''ew  Salem. 
Jeremiah  Gray 
Cadiz. 
Joseph  W.  White,  jr. 

Belmont  County. 
John  Burch 

Harrison  County 
Elijah  C.  Stonk 
Ebenezer  Gray 
John  Croskey 
Thomas  Healea 


S66 

Guernsey  County. 
Darid  Smith 

Freble  County. 
Peter  Poyner 
William  Williams 
William  Milner 
John  Quinn,  Esq. 
Albert  Banta 
Isaac  Enoch 
James  Johnston 
Isaac  Harrell 
James  Button 
Levi  Jones 
Timothy  Marsh 
Alexander  Mitchel 
George  Harter 
Robert  (t^uinn 
George  LStrader 
Wm.  Decoursey 

Butler  County. 
Stephen  Gard 
Dr.  Squire  Littell 
Michael  Pearce 
Gideon  Long 
Ebenezer  Orsburn 
Samuel  Lucas 
Elias  Gibbs 
Isaac  Hall 
Thomas  Longley 
Wm.  Martin 
Eson  Leach 
Jonathan  Clark 

Hamilton  County. 
James  Jones 
Samuel  Trott 
Othniel  Looker,  Esq. 
Ebenezer  GrilRn 
Robert  Terry 
Wm.  Mc.  Callam 
Maj.  John  Ferris 
Walter  Evans 
Isaac  Elston 
Isaac  Ferris 
Richard  Ayres 


Subscribers*  Names. 

Henry  Martin,  jr. 
Clayton  Webb 
John  Webb 
Domminus  Abbott 
Jonathan  Garard 
Simon  Crosley 
Robert  Wheatly 
Wm.  D.  Coursey 
John. Perry 
Wm.  Milspough 
David  Lee 
John  Hutchinson 
Thomas  Appleton 
Joseph  Saler 
John  Bonham 
Wm.  Terrence 
Reuben  Carman 
Ehsha  Seaggin 

Cincinnati. 
Alexander  Denniston 
Richard  Gaines 
Thacher  Lewis 
Theodore  B.  Barrett 
John  Smith 
Wm.  P.  Downs 


INDIANA. 
Franklin  County. 
James  Smith 
John  Keeney 
Lewis  Deweese 
William  Tyner 
Conrad  Salcrs 
John  Quick 
John  Penwell 
Jonathan  Eades 
Abraham  Hackleman 
Jabez  Winship 
Jacob  Salers 
John  Armstrong 
Wm.  Deniston 
Jeremiah  Corey 
James  Winchell 
Abraham  Jones 


Robert  Flack 
Samuel  Lee 
Jonathan  Stout 
David  Shirk 
Andrew  Shirk 
John  Blades 
Spencer  Clack 
Edward  Webb 
John  Hall 

Jefferson  County. 
Col.  John  Vawter 

Wayne  County. 
John  Tyner 
John  Martindale 
Brookville. 
David  Oliver 
N.  Noble 
B.  F.  Morris 
Enoch  Mc.  Carty 

Indian  Creek. 
Samuel  Crooks 
John  Smith 

Dearborn e  County. 
John  Watts 
Jeremiah  Johnson 

Switzerland. 
John  Campbell 

Lawrenceburgh. 
Ezra  Ferris 

Vincennes, 
Tho.  Kennedy 
Isaac  Mc.  Coy 
Hon.  Wm.  Polke 
Martin  Rose 
Tho.  Piety 
Dea.  Samuel  Allison 
Maj.  Wm.  Bruce 
Dea.  Robert  Elliott 

Gibson  County. 
Alexander  Devin 
John  Braselton 

White  County. 
Stephen  Clanton 


Q:^    Omitted  in  their  places-^ 
Japeth  C.  Washburn,  Harlem,  (Maine.) 
Capt.  Eliphalet  Young,   Tolland,  (Con.) 

N.  B.  About  one  thousand  of  the  subscribers  in  the  New-England  and  Mid- 
dle St:ites  were  obtained  by  Mr.  George  Dods,  of  Providence,  who  wishes 
in  this  public  manner  to  acknowledge  the  distinguished' kindness  and  hospi- 
tality of  the  brethren  and  friends  among  whom  he  has  travelled,  and  by 
whom  he  has  so  often  been  refreshed  and  comforted. 

5^  Mr.  Ebenezer  Me,  who  obtained  a  large  number  <^  subscribers  im  the  Western  States,  had,  when  list 
heard  from,  i60  names,  which  have  not  arrived  in  season  f6>  insertion.  Probably  s»me  lilts  frera  otter  quarters 
may  also  liave  failed  uf  reaching  the  Fublisberi. 


Lincoln  8^  Edmands^  at  their  Bible  Ware- 
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DODDRIDGE'S  SERMONS    TO   YOUNG  PEOPLE, 

on  various  subjects — On  the  importance  of  the  rising  generation — Christ 
formed  in  the  soul,  the  foundation  of  hope,    &c.  &c.  62 


HAWEIS'    COMMUNIC  ANT'S    SPIRITUAL     COM- 

panion  :  or,  an  evangelical  preparation  for  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  which 
are  shewn  the  nature  of  tlie  Oidinance,  and  the  dispositions  requisite  for  a 
profitable  participation  thereof.  ,  50 

MASON'S   REMAINS,  containing  a  variety  of  devout 

and  useful  sayings  on  divers  subjects,  digested  under  proper  heads. 
{^y  Dr.  Watts  thus  wrote  respecting  this  work  :  "  I  am  pleased  when  you 
inform  me,  that  yoadesign  to  print  a  new  edition  of  the  "  Select  Remains." 
I  have  thought  that  this  selection  of  short  sentences  is  very  proper  to  attend 
Christians  of  the  middle  rank,  either  in  the  parlour  or  kitchen,  in  the  shop  or 
workhouse,  and  for  that  end  I  have  been  a  frequent  purchaser  of  them  to 
distribute  in  families  and  among  private  christians." 

BUCK'S  TREATISE  QN  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE  ; 

in  which  its  nature,  evidences  and  advantages  are  considered,  under  various 
particulars — the  Young  Christian's  Experience,  the  Aged  Christian's  Experi- 
ence, Happy  Experience,  Dying  Experience,  &c.  &c.  1,00 


BAXTER'S  SAINT'S  EVERLASTING  REST,  printed 

on  a  large  and  iair  type.  1,12 

SOLITUDE  SWEETENED;  a  valuable  and  interesting 

work,  by  J.  Meikle,  Surgeon  oi  a  British  Man-or-war,  containing  14;  Me- 
ditations on  religious  subjects,  written  on  board  ship.  i,00 

PAWTUCKET    COLLECTION    OF    CONFERENCE 

Hynins.       By  David  Benedict,  A.  M.         Second  Edition.  25  ctes. 

Dr.  Baldwin's  Works  on  Baptism. 

Viz. 

The  Baptism  of  Believers  only,  and  the  Particular  Com- 

iiiuaion  of  the  Baptist  Churches,  explained  and  vindicated.  In  three  Parts. 
Price  1.12  cts. 

A  Series  of  Letters,  in  which  the  distinguishing  sen- 
timents of  the  Baptifls  are  considered.  In  answer  to  a  publication,  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Worcester,  of  Salem,  addressed  to  the  Author,  entitled  "  Serious 
and  Candid  Letters.''     Price  15  cts. 

Christian  Baptism,  as  delineated  in  the  New  Testament, 

in  a  Letter  to  a  Friend.     Price  12  cts. 

Also, 

By   Elder  Caleb  Blood, 
The  Points  of  Difference  between  the  Baptists  and  Pe- 

do-Baptists,  candidly  stated  in  a  Familiar  Dialogue.     Price  50  cts. 

CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. A  SERMON,  preached  in 

Calcutta,  by  Mr.  JUDSON,  Missionary  in  Burmah  ;  in  which  are  stated 
his  reasons  for  embracing  believers'  baptism.  This  able  discourse  has 
passed  through  a  second  edition,  and  is  worthy  the  perufal  of  every  en- 
quirer after  trutli. 


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